Pay It Forward

The day has finally arrived!
For those of you have participated in Pay It Forward----
THANK YOU!
I posted this picture and gave you all a week or so to guess what the object was. We have had several great guesses and TWO hit it right on the nose. Here is the original post that I posted back in April. Our world of blogging is really just a remake of an old tradition. Please read the following and you will know without a doubt what the above object is.

Years ago I used to read a massive amount of romance novels. I loved the historical ones. The traditions and the way of life have always fascinated me. Pictures of ladies in fancy dresses concerned only about what they would wear to a ball, tea served in front parlors, men gallantly rushing in to protect a lady--who wouldn’t love to disappear into this world. But alas, those are days gone by. Or are they?
I started blogging a short while ago. Something about the whole blogging process was bringing something of those days of old to mind. When I started someone told me to make sure I visited plenty of blogs and make sure to leave comments. I thought how strange, why would that be so important? I then found out that when you leave a comment on a blog, the polite response is to acknowledge the comment with a return visit to the site of the commenter. Then it hit me, I had taken a step back in time. What we call comments are really just calling cards of days gone by. Here is a little history.

“The use of calling cards was perceived as "high style", carried by "well-to-do" ladies and gentleman who made a point to call on friends and family on specified days of the week or month. The term "Calling" or the verb "to call" was a common Victorian term for making a visit. The card was left at the door, or in the front parlor in a silver urn, basket or "Card Receiver". These receivers were placed to hold cards for the family, whether they be home or not. Cards left reminded the family of who had called, thus requiring a visit in return.
A lady would start making calls immediately upon arriving in town. This would notify everyone that her family had arrived. The card was conveyed to the mistress of the house, who would then decide whether or not to receive the caller. Out of respect, no questions or inquiries as to the whereabouts of the residents or the mistress were asked during the initial visit.
If the mistress was 'not at home', it was a rejection of the visitor. A reciprocal card may be given to the caller, but if none was given formally, this generally indicated less desire to further the acquaintance. However, if formal calls were given, there was hope for the relationship to grow.
Formal calls were made following ceremonial events such as engagements, marriages or childbirth, and also as acknowledgment of hospitality. After a specific event, it was courteous to make a call within a week for all condolences and congratulations.
Standard practice of all calls were returned the same as presented. Example of a call, a card with a card, within one week, or at the most, ten days. If a family was temporarily leaving the area, they wrote P.P.C. (pour prendage conge) on their cards when they called.”

Does all this sound familiar? We have actually been practicing what some would have called "high style living". We prepare an attractive entrance way for our visitors and leave a “tray’ for them to leave proof of their visit. If we know them, they can expect a return “call”. If new visitors leave appropriate "calling cards" that catch our eyes--they can be sure to receive a return visit. Some sites have lots of calling cards. These “homes” become the social place to be found. In a scary world it could be like stepping back into high school again. (Heaven help me--not again)
To our benefit, I have found only a polite society. Calling cards most often are returned and some that were received have been “Formal”, and relationships have begun to grow. I love this new neighborhood and its little traditions. I love being able to stop in and see who is home. Staying for a short while with those I am just getting to know and a little longer with those that I am familiar with.
Isn't it nice to know that we are a part of an old tradition? We are not so mod in our ways. Sometimes the ways of old are good. In those days it led to a community of people who knew what was going on in each others lives. It made friends of women who spent time with each other.
We need that so much today. I need to know that when life is good there is someone to share the details with. And, I need to know that when life is hard I have someone who knows me and cares about what I am going through. We need each other.

I thank God for my little social community. When you stop ---please, leave your "calling card". I promise to get back with you within the acceptable time.
And, I promise that in my home your calling card will not be rejected.
And if you are new to our little neighborhood, WELCOME!



Pictures are of old Victorian calling cards.

Pretty cool little piece of history isn't it?
I thought so.
Two girls hit the answer right on the head. Our dish is a calling card dish. It would have been left in the front hall and when ladies would come to call
they would leave their card in the little bowl.
So.......... to the two ladies who left the correct response- I will be sending off the following
PAY IT FORWARD rewards.
Please remember that the winners should also have a PAY IT FORWARD in the near future.
You may do whatever you like to pay it forward.

The first gift will go to Halfmoon Girl. If I remember correctly she does not care for coffee- so I make a little selection for her from my favorite store. There is an assorted selection of apple cider and two different types of tea. One is Peppermint tea and the other is a loose English Breakfast tea. Enjoy girl!

Next.
The other correct answer came from Holly of Crown Laid Down. She really impressed me with her research. She even found the web page where I found the picture to display for this contest. Way to go girl!
I am pretty sure that Holly shares my love for coffee. You will need some milk for this Holly--with chicory, it is pretty potent. This coffee would be used for our Cafe Au Lait-
half coffee and half hot milk.
Your coffee will also be coming with Beignet mix. If you have ever been to New Orleans you would have surely gone to Cafe du Monde. They are famous for their coffee and beignets. Beignets are square donuts topped with powder sugar-- I grew up on these. Just don't sneeze while eating them. And don't wear black.
Enjoy these with your family Holly.

I will be getting these all in the mail in the next few days.
Thank you guys.
This was fun!

Thank you for being a huge part of my life this past year. You are all very special to me. I thank God for brining you all into my life.
Looking forward to an incredible new year with you all at my side.

Just checking in

Not feeling so well.
Seems that I have a little ear ache and I am feeling a tad yucky.
I will be here to do the draw on the end of the month.Seems as if we have had a few people guess the right answer. So- on the last day of the month I will post the winners (yes, I have decided to pick two) along with the original post that led to this picture.

Wow--almost a new year.

I will be back.
Love you guys!

A little something for your brain...ya know -to get it working again

I guess it is time to see if our brains are working again after all the sugar overload.
So, see if you can find the objects in the pictures.

This one will be easy in case your brain needs a little warm up time.
Can you see the smiling face of God?

Now still a little easy-- but getting a little harder.

Can you see the donkey in the next picture?

Makes you wonder if there is a reason they picked the person they did to display the image in. Hmmmmm....wonder if the artist was a woman. ;)
Maybe we need to pray for her.
Next, a little harder still.
Find the baby.


This one can be a doosey. You are looking for a young woman and an old lady.

So, is the brain working again?

Pay It Forward

A while back I signed up to win something over at Mary's site. She is the very sweet hostess of Mary's Writing Nook. She was sponsoring a Pay It Forward that first originated with Donetta.
I won!
So now it is my turn. I thought with all the family time coming up that it might be a good time to post my Pay It Forward.
I guess I should explain to you what it is-----

The idea of Pay It Forward is as follows:

"Come join in the fun and make the world a happier place. So this is how it goes...It’s the Pay It Forward Exchange. It’s based of the concept of the movie “Pay it Forward” where acts or deeds of kindness are done without expecting something in return, just passing it on, with hope that the recipients of the acts of kindness are passed on. So here’s how it works:

I will post a picture and you have to tell me what it is.
TRY AND GUESS..it can't hurt.
I posted on something that has something to do with it-- a long time ago.
BTW-I am almost at my one year anniversary.
Thank you very much Beth Moore.
I digress.
So you must try and guess what "it" is.
Should we have more than one person come up with the right answer-
we will have to do a draw.
And should not one person come up with the right answer--we will have to do the random number thingy.
Now what will the prize be?
My favorite coffee, tea, something from Louisiana...........
I am not sure.
Do you trust me? I promise it will be great!
You may guess more than once. Pass the word please. Don't be stingy!
On the last day of December.......... I will announce the winner.
And then it will be your turn to pay it forward.
A random act of kindness.

I will open it up to you all.
If you live in Japan I promise not to send fresh seafood. :)

Philadelphia Eyebrow Threading Ardmore Shanti Medspa

Here is the answer to the Indian threading question. Just make sure the person who does it has not had too much caffeine before hand.Can you imagine how long it would take to do someone's legs?
I think I'll stick with the razor.
Now don't you feel so much smarter?
I do. Thank you Cindy of Still His Girl.

And the answer is....

I'm baaaack!

I have been to a Christmas party at church.
A doctors appointment for Paw Paw.
A school Christmas program for JuliaAnd now I am sitting on the couch listening to the rain thinking of all the things I should be doing.
But, I don't want to leave ya'll hanging( I really want to procrastinate a little longer) so I decided to fill you in on the answer to my drama queen question.
Well, maybe not drama queen--I don't think anyone would give me that label.

I got some interesting guesses.
Some too painful to even be imagined. Some made me smile. And for others I think we need to sit down and talk because you really don't know me yet. :)

I saw Mom this morning at the school play and even she wanted to know what I had done.
She had read the comments made by Edge Of Design and said, I know you didn't pierce
your tongue.
I said NO of course not.
I already wear a retainer after braces and if you added a toungue ring to that-- I don't think you could understand me at all. And, I don't go for that type of pain. Who am I kiding-I don't go for any type of pain.
Most of all I wouldn't want to hurt any of my precious taste buds.
What if you lost the special one that helped you enjoy your favorite food? Hmmmmm, might not be a bad idea with all the food that will be hanging around the next week. ;)
But no--wouldn't even think about having that done. It might be fun to get a fake one just to freak out the people at church. Ha! Miss conservative has lost her mind--that is just what they would think. We don't believe in excommunication-- but I bet my pastor would entertain the thought of it. ;)

So, no tongue ring, no permanent make up-that would involve pain. And what if they slipped?
Nope, not for me.
I do have a question for two people who left comments. They both mentioned something that this country bumpkin had never heard of before.
Something called-Indian string method.
Someone please fill me in on this.
Sounds like a name for some of the underwear I have seen in Victoria's Secret.
Ummmm, no thank you.
Really, I would like to know how this works since I have an idea
that it has something to do with hair removal.
So the answers is, with out further todo..................

I had my upper lip waxed.
Good guess Mary!

Now for those of you who have not had this done before--it is really not so bad. :)
Ever had a bo bo on your arm and had to detach a bandaid?
Remember how it felt once the bandaid got good and attached to the hair on your arm?
Now remember how it felt to quickly........ Riiiiiiiip....... that bandaid off?
There you go! That is the feeling.
As the woman was leaning over my face painting the warm nice feeling wax on my lip she said, "Is this all you want to do???????".
Helloooooo, I might have a little Italian in the blood line- but no ape.
Honestly guys-I am not that hairy. Just a little shadow on my upper lip!
Now my mind is spinning-does she think I need more waxed? Does she see something I don't?
Meanwhile....riiiiiiiiiiP!
"Ahhhhhh....good grief!"
"Oh.......sorry, I forgot it was your first time".
What- would it have hurt less if she had remembered?
I don't think soooooo!
But, it was over quickly. It was not too bad.
While I was there one of the women was talking about the things she had had waxed.
Uh....I DON'T think so!!!!!!
I will have to say that my girl did not charge me for the waxing---- since it was my first time???
Maybe she wants to make sure I come back to have it done again. :)

Anyone want to go with me?

Todays adventure.

Well, it has been a busy day.
But, I have to confess.
Today I gave into a temptation that I have had for a long time.

Actually it first began in junior high.
It began to be a nagging hope that was never quite fulfilled.
I have know many women who have taken the step.
Some who loved that they went ahead and did it-- and others who
terribly regretted the decision.
While having my hair re permed today I heard them talking about it.
They said it was really no be deal.
They had done it lots of times before.
I should try it.
I looked deep into their eyes to see if I could trust what they were saying.
They said if I did it real quick no one would even know I had done it.
My heart was beating wildly as I tried to make up my mind.
Should I do it?
Could I handle the consequences if there were any?
What to do-what to do?
And then........ I gave in.

I did.

I could not resist any longer.
I gave in to peer pressure.




And how did I feel afterwards?

Scream!!!!!!!
Jimminy cricket!!!!
Good goobly goo!!!!!!!!!!!
What the heck!

What did I do?

Snowflakes in Louisiana!

I wish there were snowflakes in Louisiana. With temps in the 60's I don't think we have to worry about snow. But, even if we can't have the cold type-we can have the sweet type. I found these on a cooking web site and thought they would be something fun for Julia and I to do.
You will need.
Flour Tortillas, butter or oil, chocolate chips and powder sugar.
Below you see Julia buttering a sheet pan. We tried both butter and pan spray. They both work about the same.

Next, fold the flour tortilla in quarters. Then cut into a snowflake just like a piece of paper. We tried to think of what to do with the pieces left over but could not. You could fry them and then put cinnamon sugar on them. But who need the calories right now.

After you have preheated the oven to about 350 or 400-doesn't really matter-place the sheet pan on the middle rack. You'll just have to watch them until light brown in color it will really depend on your oven . I flipped them and then put them back in for a few minutes to brown on the other side. The thing to remember about flour tortillas is that once they start to brown--they will burn quickly.

Next, I used both white chocolate and milk chocolate chips. Spread chips over the flipped tortilla. Just remember that it will not take long to soften the chips. And if you leave them in too long they will start to harden again.
Once you remove the pan from the oven just use a spatula to spread the chocolate around.

Be very careful when handling the baked tortillas-they will be very brittle.
As you can see from the half of snowflake below.
Let them cool and then store them in an airtight container. I don't know how long they will last --we shall see.

Hope you have fun if you try these--we did.

Don't be a grinch

This is a little piece of a devotional that Denise from Shortybears sent me
this morning. I thought it was great and it touched my heart.

The true story is told of a self-made millionaire who had lived in New York City his entire life. Born and raised in a ghetto, he worked hard and achieved much. Anyone who knew this man would testify to the fact that he was generous - to a fault, some would say. One year, the man was disturbed by an attitude of selfishness and greed that seemed to pervade the Christmas holiday season and everyone around him. Not one to condemn, the millionaire decided that since he had been given so much, it was up to him to do his part in combating greed and came up with an unusual plan. Wearing a disguise, this man stuffed his pockets with $100 dollar bills and set out for a walk on the streets of New York City . When he saw someone in need, he whipped out one of the bills, pressed it into that person's hands and with a "Merry Christmas", made his way down the street. "It was the most wonderful part of my holiday season," the man reported, and he has been doing it every since.

God is much more interested in our motive for giving than in the gift itself. If that motive is tainted with greed, the gift simply does not count. A powerful way to guard against greed is to choose joy over greed. Giving with joy is Kingdom giving! Before you give, ask yourself, “What’s in it for me?” If the answer is “nothing”, then go ahead and give the gift.

When our children were in middle school, we owned what I affectionately called a “Mini-Gym”. It was a set of bar bells, a weight lifting bench and a few free weights. Both Jered and Danna loved their “gym” and used it almost every day. When Christmas rolled around, we learned that two of their good friends, Jeff and Jeremy, were not going to have much of a Christmas because their dad had lost his job. Jered came up with a plan. “Mom,” he said, “Danna and I have talked about it. We think that Jeff and Jeremy would love to have the gym. But we don’t want them to know we gave it to them, because they might be embarrassed. What do you think?” I thought I was in the presence of two joyful givers and quickly joined them in their plan.

A few days before Christmas, Jered and I took the gym apart and loaded it in our car while Danna found a huge red bow. Together, we made a sign that read, “Merry Christmas! We love you!” Danna blew up balloons while Jered dug out some Christmas lights. We enlisted the help of a neighbor who had a key to our friend’s house and joined in the fun by agreeing to find out when the coast was clear, unlocking the back door and letting us in. At the designated time, off we went, laughing and singing Christmas carols. We parked down the street until the neighbor called, giggling, to let us know she was all set. Once we were inside, we raced to assemble the gym, post the sign, tie the balloons and tape the lights to the front door, leading our friends to their Christmas surprise on the back porch. We then high-tailed it home as if the FBI was hot on our trail! The neighbor reported that just minutes after the boys returned, she heard shouting and “whooping and hollering”. The joy of that Christmas still lingers today. Greed doesn’t hold a candle to joyful giving!

So I guess we could say that giving keeps us from getting all stopped up with greed. Stopped up people are miserable people. Miserable? Give.

Holiday Dinner

We are planning our Christmas day dinner.
Most of it is set but we are still waiting for a few details.
I am making-- prime rib, some type of shrimp and rice dish, a rum cake, apple cider and some tea.

Altogether this is what we are playing around with.
Prime Rib
Ham
Shrimp and rice(pilaf)?????????
Baked macaroni
Twice stuffed mashed potatoes
Spinach and artichoke casserole
Fruit salad
Marinated veggie salad
rolls

Desserts-
Run cake oops! make that rum cake :)
Eggnog custard pie?-maybe
Chocolate pie
Something else not sure what?????

So, my question is------ Does someone have a good recipe for shrimp and rice?
I don't really want anything too heavy because of the potatoes and macaroni.

And I am open to some dessert ideas also.
If you post a recipe on your blog just let me know so that I can come see.
Thank you very much.

ARE YOU GETTING EXCITED YET?
Julia has one more week of school and then vacation time!

Childrens Church

We are all home from church-- well all except Keith and Michael--they are in the woods somewhere.
Paw Paw is watching/listening to the Saints-Arizona game.
I built a fire and I am debating if I am going to go fix myself a cup of something hot.
Maybe I'll wait.
I wanted to tell you a story. Actually it is the story that I did for children's church today.
It has been a long time since I have done children's church. But someone needed a break and I was glad to step in. I love looking down into the little faces that are looking up at me as they sit on the floor at the front of the church.
How about I share it with you?
---------------------------
We live close to a very long bridge that goes from our side of the lake into New Orleans-it is called The Causeway. It is about 26 miles straight across water-mo land. A rather long trip with no bathroom or gas available. Can you imagine what it would take have to go across in a boat? All those people who go across the bridge to get to work would have to get up even earlier.
Bridges are a good thing, they keep us connected.
I want to share with you a story about a man who made connections.
Long ago there was a man who was getting old and he knew his time was getting short before his death. He had a very large farm and was so glad that he had two sons to work the cattle and crops. They got along good and worked well together. It made the man very proud of them.
He decided to go ahead and split the farm between the two boys. Separating the property would be easy because there was a river that ran right down the middle. Both would have their own property and use of the river.
Time passed and the boys grew, married and had children. One day the brothers got into a fight.I am not sure what the fight was-but I do know that they stopped talking to each other.
For years they never talked. It was sad for the family.
One day when one of the brothers was getting ready to leave the house there was a knock on his door. Answering the door he found a stranger standing there.
May I help you?
I am a carpenter and I was wondering if you had some work for me to do.
Well, I am getting ready to leave for the day but as a matter of fact-I do. Down by the river I need a fence built to hide my brother from my view. Build it tall and long and I will be satisfied.

The man left for the day well satisfied with himself. Later that evening he returned. He noticed that the carpenter was packing up his truck so he went down to check out the job. When he got near the river he stopped short. He could not believe it! The carpenter had finished the job but he had not done what the man had asked for.
Instead of the tall fence, in its place stood a bridge. And now standing on the other side of that bridge was the brother he did not want to see.
Before he knew what was happening the mans brother came running across the bridge with his arms outstretched. There were tears running down his cheeks as he thanked his brother for taking such a huge step to welcome him back.
"I can't believe that after all the ugly things I have done you still had this bridge built to welcome me back. I love you and I am so sorry."
Unwilling to say what was really going on -the brother returned to the house to pay the carpenter for a job well done. He asked if the carpenter would stay to help with other jobs.
The carpenter said he was sorry but he would be unable to stay because he had more bridges to build.

There are many times when our brothers and sisters aggravate us. Times when they hurt us and we so want to hurt them back. Sometimes we don't do anything because we are enjoying being mad. But the longer we are mad the less our feelings for this person become. We may begin to feel like we don't like them or even love them.
But God loves us too much to let us continue this way--so, in our sin He will let us get miserable.

God gave us a bridge to use when we find that we have built a fence between us and someone else. In the scripture he tells us how to avoid building the fence in the first place. He tells us that if a brother offends us we need to go to them. That can be a hard thing to do because sometimes we just want to be mad. Or maybe we think we can just forget about it.
That does not happen often. So God says we are to go to the person and tell them that they have hurt us or made us mad.
If your sister made you mad, instead of running to tattle or gossip--go to her. If she won't let you get it right then go to your Mom or Dad. The Bible then says that you can get Mom and Dad involved. But hopefully you won't have to. It will save them a lot if you will try Gods way to work it our on your own. But if you do need help and Mom and Dad can not get it worked out--our pastor can help.
God set this up in the Bible. It is to be our bridge. Without this bridge--we will probably build fences.
------------------
Hope you enjoyed a little bit of my day. It was good to be doing children's church again.
This is a message that is very close to my heart. Satan wants to destroy our unilty as brothers and sister in Christ. If we allow him to win--then Gods will, will not be done.
Jesus prayed that we would be one.
And He also prayed that Gods will would be done here as it was already being done in heaven.
I hope you are having a great day. And that you enjoyed being together with your brothers and sisters in Christ today.

The heavy glass

I was over visiting Deena at Wholly Devoted and after reading the following-- I asked her if I could post it also. She said, YUP!
So here it is.

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water? "

Answers called out ranged from 8oz. to 20oz.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. "If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance."

"In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes. "

He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on.
"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. "

"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work/life down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow."

"Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Relax; pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy! "

Of course as a Christian we need to lay our burdens in the hands of Jesus-but sometimes this is hard to do. I find that even when I think I have, the sore muscles in my shoulders say---NO YOU DIDN'T!
Sometimes for me it is as simple as choosing not to think about whatever "it" is.
It is not running from the problems when you refuse to think about them--especially if you have given them to God to hold and solve.
So tell your brain--NO! And then let the one who created the glass and the water--hold it.
Yes, it takes practice sometimes.
For those of ya'll who are thinking of family issues at this time of the year--
Give the glass to God.
He is holding His hand out to take it. It is not that the burden will just disappear-but it will get lighter.

Shrinking women/Expanding Women!

*Update on header picture*
Well now all the ladies are back-but-instead of you just being able to see their middle sections, you see much more of them.
Much, much more of them.
Goodness!
Let this be a warning.
While doing all that Christmas baking-
DON'T LICK THE SPOON!
Too funny!



Is it just me or can you only see the backsides (literally)
of the women in my header?
What's up with that?
I didn't do anything.
Is anyone else having problems?

It Only Takes A Spark

It only takes a spark, to get a fire going.
And soon all those around, can warm up it it's glowing.

Chorus:
That's how it is with God's love, once you've experienced it, it's fresh like spring, you want to sing, you want to pass it on.

Verse 2
What a wondrous time is Spring
When all the trees are budding.
The birds begin to sing,
the flowers start their blooming.

Chorus:

Verse 3
I wish for you my friend
this happiness that I've found
You can depend on him
It matters not where your bound.

Last chorus:
I'll shout it from the mountain tops
I want the world to know
The Lord of Life has come to me

I want to pass it on.

Do any of you remember this song? I don't even remember when I first learned it, but I do know it was a looooooong time ago. The song invokes memories of sticky fingers from marshmallows and smoke in my eyes. Good memories. :) Ha Ha
I have been doing some thinking lately. And as surprising as that sounds to some of you who read my post---I do do it quite often. And, most of it I just talk to God about. Yes, consider yourself blessed. But, there are some times that I post things because I want to spark conversation. I posted something several days ago that I would have loved to have had a deep prolonged discussion about. I love a conversation with some good give and take. The kind that you walk away from going....hmmmmm. And, I like having my brain twisted every once in a while. I enjoy thinking about -what I think I know. Thinking about- what I think.
This used to drive my pastor crazy until he got to know me.(This lets you know that if I drive you crazy it won't be for long. I think it only took about three years with him. Ha!)

For those of you who post posts and do not want to spark conversation--sorry!
When my brain starts to buzzz with something new the Holy Spirit is talking to me about--I want to hold it up like a precious diamond and observe it from every angle. Then I want to show it to someone and say, So-what ya think?
And then it is on!
I feel the heat of the Spirit rising on the inside. I feel the affirmation of the good that is taking place on the inside as the sword of the spirit starts to work. I LOVE IT!
A little spark and I want to share it. Spread it!
Sit around it and talk about how we admire it. How it warms our insides. How if touched without respect-- it burns us. I could go on and on.
So.....I love when you leave comments. Sometimes when you do-- I would love to be able to pick up the phone and say, "Yes, how cool. And did you think about this? And, what do you think about this?"
I miss converstation that stretches my brain!
One of my friends once told me that her brain was not always up to following mine.
In other words-- I was making her brain tired. :)
That is o.k because she loves me anyway.
Don't you just love this ramble? Can you tell I want to talk?
How about this? If I ever leave a comment on your blog that goes on and on--you can be sure--I just want to talk. Engage if you like. Or feel free to say---TIRED BRAIN HERE!
Either way--you know where my heart is.
Now it is time to shut the brain down for the evening.
You----"\o/!!!!"
Me---- "I heard that!" ;)

It's been a long time

One of my sweet sisters has decided that I am the owner of a bodacious blog.
Since I am not "with it" I figured I might ought to find out what this meant. So here is a little research--yes I went all the way to the dictionary to find the meaning. No Greek or Hebrew necessary for this one.

bodacious

Main Entry:

bo·da·cious

Pronunciation:

\bō-ˈdā-shəs\

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

probably blend of bold and audacious

Date:

1832

1Southern & Midland : outright, unmistakable
2: remarkable, noteworthy bodacious bargain>
3: sexy, voluptuous <bodacious babes>

— bo·da·cious·ly adverb

Now since we all know that I do not go for a s**y look here(and I will pass on the voluptuous part too) we will use 1 and 2.
How about that?
Since I could not find a description of this award I guess I will have to fill it in myself.
So for those of you whom I choose to pass this award on to-this is what I want you to know.
1. I think you are TOTALLY BO-DA-CIOUS dahlin! (southern drawl necessary here)
2. I am honored to call you my sister because you have an outright,
unmistakable love for God.
3. Last but not least--in God's eyes you are remarkable and
totally noteworthy in the kingdom of God.
I am honored to have such bodaciously incredible blogging friends and sisters.

Now for the award winners--in no certain order.
Dee
Nise
Holly
Deena
Kellan
Karen
Mary
Regina
Pastor Lisa
Melaniejoy
Melanie
Debrand
Susan
Bunnygirl
Kate
Ally
Iris
Jenny
Sue
Nicki
Shelly
Sarah
Cindy
HalfmoonGirl
AmyKate
Connie
Vicki(Victoria)
Cahleen
Deborah
Abby
Andrea
try2bAsunbeam
Edge of Design
Sandi
Mary
Kentucky Woman
Deb
Denise(S.W)
Denise(back at ya)
Freetofly
Linda
Tracy
Mom

Now I do hope that I covered all the girls I read on a regular basis. And if you read me on a regular basis and do not comment--see what you missed out on?
Love you!

12-Christmas-Things-About-Me-Hoopla

First-the important thing to know is that you are about to walk into the new world of Hoopla.
What is hoopla? Well according to Andrea of Life Songs this is what it is and where it originated.
"Today while my mind was wandering at work, I decided to create my own meme hoopla (due to the popular dis-like of the 'm' word, I made an executive decision to change it to 'hoopla')."
I have been tagged (we need another word for that word too-any ideas?) for this hoopla.
So here we go. Here are the golden rules.

1. List 12 random things about yourself that has to do with Christmas
2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word
3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through the blogosphere.
4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I'd like to get as many people involved as possible.
5. If you want to -- please give me, Andrea, some link-love as the 'Hoopla-Creator'. I love new blog-traffic.

Sooooooooo-you did notice number three right? Don't you turn the channel. Sounds like some infomercial. It won't be painful because it is no longer that "M" word.
Sooooo, without further ado or to do--my 12.

1. I first experienced Christmas at the ripe ole age of 2 and three quarter months. Can't say I have any memories of this. Hope for Moms sake that I was nice enough to sleep through it.

2. Christmas stockings must have little wrapped gifts in them. And they may not be opened until all other gifts have been opened. Don't forget the candy.

3. I have made fudge almost every year since I started making no fuss fudge for my granddad when I was probably around 10. It is very easy. You can change up the flavors. And it does not require a cooking thermometer. My granddad love Chocolate and peanut butter fudge. It made me feel very special to be making something he loved. Now when Christmas rolls around this is a signature dish for me.

4. And like Andrea--I have never played Mary in a Christmas play. Julia is following in my footsteps. The other day she wondered why she always seems to be chosen for the angel role.

5. This year will be the first time I have been home all day on Christmas day. \o/ Thank you Jesus!

6. Stocking are special because of my grandad. If you missed that post and you are dieing to know why-you can go here. It was one of those things on Christmas that starts with the "M" word.

7. When I was little we put the silver tinsel on our tree. But, I no longer do this. Fascinating-I know. :)

8. I love spiced hot apple cider. Mom used to make this with all the separate ingredients but now I have found a mix at Fresh Market. Yes, I love this place. I really think they should pay me to advertise for them. Yesterday while we were there I found an older man that would love to host the commercial with me. Keith on his word purchased whole milk to try. It has been a long time since I saw that much floating cream. The next time I go I may have to try the ice cream that that he says tastes like lemon meringue pie. yum!

9. I only like white lights on my tree. And although I like it to be decorated in an orderly way--I am getting a little more relaxed in my old age.

10. This year I have decided to do non traditional foods for us for Christmas. So-if you have a non traditional dish for Christmas I would love to hear it. This year I am going to make a rum cake for the first time. If you do not do alcohol-sorry-no offense. It calls for vanilla pudding but I am going to use white chocolate instead. We will see.

11. I WANT (stomp of foot here) snow for Christmas! And you guy who are going through rough weather right now--I'm sorry. I guess winter for some of ya'll is like hurricane season for us. You hold your breath and hope the worse passes over.

12. I MADE IT! And if you are reading this -you did too. Congratulations!
What oh what shall I write for this? Hmmmmm How about this? THings I like to drink at Christmas. Hot spiced tea(the type made with tang), hot chocolate, eggnog, hot buttered rum, hot apple cider with seasoning mix and of course coffee.

Phew! We made it.
Now it is time for the t word. I know-busy busy. But you can do it! You really can.
I am going to tag 5 people.
Drum roll please..............

Melaniejoy
Shore Stories
Kentucky Woman
I'm In Another Place In Him
Did You Ever Think About

Now if you have already been tagged for this hoopla just let me know and I will supply the "pass" so you do not have to do it. But, if you have not-I expect for you to drop and give me 12!
And please be sweet and let me know when it is up so that I can come read.

Family fun

Just a little update on family fun. Sunday we had a great time with Bert Jr and the rest of the clan that had come in from North Carolina. We went to a local seafood restaurant--the first thing anyone born in Louisiana has to have when they have been gone and then come home. Of course the picture is of Paw Paw, Bert Jr., and Sue-my sister in law.

If you are willing to pay the price you can get just about any seafood at this time of the year.
I had oysters-yes, I love them and I don't like cooking them at home. Most everyone else ate shrimp and crabs. Our seafood is boiled with a spicy seasoning mix. We don't just steam in water. You will find garlic, lemon, seasoning mix,potatoes, corn and sometimes andouillie (sausage).

This is my man. There is a family resemblances. Paw Paw said that he had gotten his Christmas already. To have all his children there with him made him very happy. And of course he throughly enjoyed his fried catfish.

The following picture is of both of my sister in laws. I got ready to take a picture of me and one of my nieces(we are about the same age) and the battery went dead. ;)
Keith said I broke it. Thank ya baby!

Today Bert Jr came and got Paw Paw and took him to Franklinton to see granny. They did not get to stay long because the nursing home is having a problem with the flu. But they brought granny a poinsettia and then had lunch after a visit to the farm.
While they were gone I got to go to lunch with Keith. Where did we go? Mexican of course.
Then Keith actually went with me to use some more of my gift card from our anniversary.
I got some more coffee(creme brulee and choc. cherry kiss-we will see if the later is any good) since I am at the end of my Georgia pecan. If you have a Fresh Market in your area you know the incredible things they have especially at this time of year.
I picked up a few things for the kids stockings.

Aren't these guys cute. They are just marshmellows dipped in chocolate. I love the little cloth hats-Julia's dolls will be getting something for Christmas too. Do you know how easy these would be to make? But as you see-I bought them instead. ;)
Hope you had a good day.
Love you guys.
And that is it from my end.

Something Has Need To Go

It’s not the words we say
Or the things we do
It’s all about heart attitude.
When my heart says, yes
And my activities say, no
Something in my life
Has need to go.
When my works say, yes
But my heart says, no
Then darkness follows
Wherever I go.
But when we come to the end
It will be for His love we’ll spend
Each and every day
His precious life to display.
And when finally our heart says, YES
And our actions agree
Then to the strings of this life
We shall ever be free.

S.B.

The last few days I have been working it out. Working out what I hope will in the end make me "fit" for kingdom service. This is not a fluffy post-so if you are not in the mood--I understand.

I think I tend to be a pretty loyal friend. I am the type most times to pick up the phone even when you are in one of those moods you just don't feel like dealing with others. You know those times? Times when you might be already feeling a little stressed and you see on caller i.d that one person who tends to take instead of give. Or maybe it is someone you are mentoring and you know that on that particular day you just have nothing to give that would be of any benefit. In other words you are in need and you don't need to use this relationship in that way.

I would say that also I love pretty deeply. Yes, we are told to love everyone. But sometimes something in you attaches itself to the other person and you know that you are hooked. You hurt for that person. You are happy with that person. You feel the connection.
For many years I would not allow myself to go there. It was not a safe zone.
And then one day God changed my heart and I looked at some of my sisters in Christ and I thought -I love them. How incredible! I would give my all for them.
It amazed me. Such a love-- I knew that it could not be from me. And so I prayed for them, loved them, and felt responsible for them. Kind of like a shepherd.
Then one day a few of the sheep developed fangs. I have the scars to prove it.
It took years to heal. But now they are truly scars. They no longer hurt..... but when I look at them I remember the lessons learned.
I thought for awhile I would not let myself love like that again. God would not allow that. Soon I found that, once again I was laboring in the spirit and fighting for the spiritual health for those I had given my heart to. Many times in the dark hours of the night God and I would fight the good fight for these people. Often during the day I would cry out to the Lord for these people.
And, then one day it happened again. The ones I loved developed fangs.

Gut reaction is to jump quick before I could be bitten. My mind could hardly imagine that I could be in the same spot again. Did they not know my heart? Could they not see my love? Did they forget the hours spent together laboring before the Lord? How could they so soon think that lies lined my words?
And although quick reflexes could stop emotional flesh from being torn--it still bruises the heart.
Would I rather not know they have a problem with me? Would I rather that my sister in Christ just walked away and act like time and events had just estranged us?
No. When they walk away they will carry with them little pieces of my heart that had been given freely.

I started talking to God about this. I was a tad angry. A little miffed. And I wanted to stomp my foot. I told God----
Fine, let them be that way. Let them go their own way. Don't they know that the things I said were said in love? Don't they know that if they had just asked me to explain that they would have know how dearly I loved them? How I would given all that I could just to see them walking in right standing with You? How could they so quickly forget what I have given? How could they think that firm words said in love were anything but loving? How could they throw it all away because of a little misunderstanding? How could they not want to get it right? How could they not love someone who loves them?
How could they?????

Do you understand what I am talking about God?
..........Chuckle........
Oh Sharon, don't you remember when you............
And, remember when I told you....... and you.........
My heart was hurt, but I knew in the end you would be right here. Yes, I understand. I knew at those times you were only viewing me and my actions through what you knew and were familiar with. You must remember they are doing the same to you.
Are you willing to be minunderstood for my names sake? I know your heart.
It is not perfect but the love was coming from me.
Keep loving. Keep giving. Be merciful.
Keep sacrificing.
Be Me.

Be A Blessing This Christmas-Let Your Light Shine

"Thank You"
to all of you, who not only reached out in His name for our project--- but who also took the time to link with Mary of Mary's Writing Nook and I. Thank you for allowing us to share in your story for our Be A Blessing this Christmas Let Your Light Shine.
I have met some new women and men. Pretty cool!
I have enjoyed reading about your ideas and I look forward to reading your post about your adventures in giving.
I will leave this post up through the weekend so that you will have a little extra time to get your post up or you can wait till Monday the 10th.
If you do not know how to use Mr Linky I would be glad to help. If you know how to copy and paste-you can do it.

We have been able to do a few things this season.
A man at our church loves to work with wood and this year came up with the idea to make cutting boards to sell for Christmas. The cool thing is that when you purchase one of the cutting boards he takes the money and buys Bibles for the Navajo Indians. How great is that?
It is in their language and they are not cheap. So this year we bought 4 boards and we will let the recipients know what was given by the purchase of their gift. Maybe they can remember to pray for the person who got the Bible each time they use their board. Sorry, I don't have a picture of these-they are already under the tree.

Next- we did the shoe boxes with Franklin Graham. We did two --both for girls Julia's age.
I pray that the little girls who got them are blessed and feel loved.Next, I wanted the staff at the nursing home where Granny is to know how much we appreciate their hard work. I baked mini loaves of pumpkin bread and wrapped them up.When I walked up to the nurses desk and asked how many people were on staff that day-- they were not very happy. Honestly, I could not understand the problem. And then.....I had a duh moment. I quickly said I was sorry and that I was not there to complain, but to wish them a Merry Christmas and thank them for their hard work. I wish you could have seen their faces. I thought one of them was going to cry. They said people just never did that. I was glad that they were so touched. Paw Paw was too. He was surprised that I was doing something for them.
I think it was good for him to see that I cared.
One last thing. If you are still looking for something to do I would love to encourage you to check out this post. You will literally touch someone on the other side of the world. And this idea is being sponsored by a teenage boy. See we did have some guys involved.
Here is Mr LinkyWell, that is it for now. I am looking forward to hearing your stories and hopefully seeing a few adventure pictures.

Soups On

I love a good hearty bowl of soup. And I don't mind sharing the recipe. The only problem is that when you are used to making it in huge amounts-it is hard to break the recipe down to small amounts.
There are so many soups I could give you recipes for that can be made with a cream base. I really could give cooking school lessons on soup making after the 7 years I spent making gallons of soup almost everyday.
At the time I thought I would die if I had to make one more gallon of Crab Brie soup. But it really was to die for. You can take the same cream base and add roasted garlic and shrimp.
Ooo la la!
But since so many people cannot get seafood---- I'll post the recipe for the soup I made the other week for church dinner.
If you would like some of the other seafood soups recipes just let me know.

Everyone loves this soup and there are many different varieties of the recipe going around-this is not the low calorie one.

Southwest Tortilla Soup

1- large onion chopped
1-bell pepper chopped
4-ribs of celery chopped
1T-chopped garlic
1 gallon of chicken broth or water and chicken bullion
2- cans chopped tomatoes with liquid
1-can of white corn
1-can of mild enchilada sauce
1t-cumin
1t-chili powder
1/2 t-liquid smoke-opptional
1- cup grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Blond Roux to tighten(this is simply equal amounts of melted butter and flour mixed and added to soup when it is hot but not boiling)
5-big chicken breast cooked and diced -you can use ground turkey or beef if you like
Flour tortillas fried-cut in thin strips and fry till crisp-top soup before eating
Sour cream and grated cheddar to top soup before eating

In advance cook chicken and set aside. I do not use the chicken broth in the soup unless it has been strained. I don't like the white residue floating in the broth. To broth add veggies, garlic, tomatoes, corn, enchilada sauce. Let this cook until veggies are tender but not falling apart. They add substance to the soup-- so I like to cut them in a big chop so you can tell they are in the soup. Add the rest of the seasoning and then tighten with roux. If you like thin broth soups you don't have to tighten the soup.
Once the soup is as tight as you like-- add the chicken. I don't like to add it before because it tends to shred. Make sure if you use the roux to let
Be careful when you fry the flour tortillas because they will brown very quickly.
Once you have let them drain on a paper towel and cool- you can store them in a ziploc bag. They can be done a day ahead.
Once soup is finished let the people top the soup with cheese, sour cream and fried strips.
Enjoy!

Pick Me?

See the young girl in the second row holding the baby?

Her name is Pimkamol and she is 10 years old. We have adopted her for Christmas.
We first learned about the need of this young girl from Bev Brandon's son Britt, over at Keep On Believing.
I was so pleased when she said her son wanted to be a part of our Be a Blessing This Christmas.
This is what he wrote.

Hi, this is Britt writing to you. I am Bev's 16-year-old son. I have an idea. I am looking for 123 people to help me do a Christmas service project for an orphanage where my sister volunteers in Thailand. So, I'm asking my friends (I'm the tall one in the picture) and I'm asking my mom's friends if you would like to be a part. Here's what we are doing.

My sister is a missionary in Chiang-Mai, Thailand. She teaches Special Ed at a missionary school there and she is involved in helping out at an orphanage called House of Blessing Tribal Children's Home. Most of the orphans are from the hill tribes of Thailand. About 20 are adopted each year. They are in a wonderful place at this orphanage that tells them about Jesus. Brooke is coming home for Christmas with an empty suitcase. I want to send back with her some fun stuff to the 123 orphans that she loves.
-----------
They are asking for $10 per child. They will give you the child's name and tell you where they are in the picture and they are asking that you pray for this child through the month of December. You can send Bev your money through paypal-a very easy thing to do.
Many of us are very busy and the Christmas season will be over before we know it.
Let's help Bev's son and daughter bless these children. Let see if we can't take care of these 123 children. If you would like to be a blessing please go over and check out the full post. Bev will give you the info you need to get the money to her daughter.
Thank you for your giving hearts.

Don't forget that on Monday the 10th we will be posting the results of our
Be A Blessing This Christmas. I will have Mr Linky up again and Mary and I hope that you will take the time to share with us your Christmas Blessing.
Thank you in His name.
I am going to make it easy for you. Here is the paypal info.
But do go over and let Britt and Bev know you are jumping in so that they can let you know the name of the child or children you are going to help.
PayPal Info:
Go to www.paypal.com
Click on Send Money (top bar)
Send Money Option
Type in Bev's e-mail address:
sixbrandons@sbcglobal.net
Fill in amount, etc. and hit send.
That's it!.

Silence is strength?

I don't often like reading books that are not novels(Bible not included of course)-but lately I have been given some books with real insight.
Since coming out of a dark learning spot, I found that I was not in a real rush to share the inner things of my heart. Things I was mulling over. I almost wondered if maybe I was still a little depressed. I do not normally have a desire to keep my thoughts to myself. ;)
If you know me--- you know this to be truth.
Then I read this.

There is a lack of quietness among today's believers; they talk too much and fail to "study to be quiet"(1Thes.4:11KJV).
Those who have received much grace from God usually have their heads bowed. Only those who are not deeply rooted in Christ tend to be flippant. (See Proverbs 18:2)
A quiet life is us usually a fragrant life. If we speak less, what we speak will be more powerful. Talkativeness is a point of leakage in ones spirituality.
A man full of the Holy Spirit will not tell anything that is not received from the Lord. Not a single word will be spoken out of self.
If we truly learn to obey the Holy Spirit in this area, our speech will be reduced by half! This will glorify God.

Well, I guess that means I will not be blogging anymore.
No, just joking.
What do you think about this quote?
It is from Watchman Nee.
This was particularly interesting to me-"Talkativeness is a point of leakage in ones spirituality".
What does this mean to you?
I'll write more after I hear your thoughts.

Christmas With a Capital

I'm a tree--who knew!

You Are a Traditional Christmas Tree

For a good Christmas, you don't have to re-invent the wheel. You already have traditions, foods, and special things you bring out every year.

What Christmas Tree Are You?

RYC

Do you have posts that you have written and they just stayed in draft stage?
When I wrote this I was rather aggravated with blogger about not getting my comments delivered to my email. All of a sudden my comments seemed to have stopped. I could not find anyone to answer my questions so finally I just tried changing my email.
It seems to have worked.
---------------------
I have been having some problems with the blogger system. I have my settings set to get the comments sent to my yahoo mail. For months it worked fine--not anymore. So I have transfered them to my other email account and it seems to be working o.k. I wonder how many comments I have missed because things were not working properly.

Also, there is something else that I have been wondering about. Comments.
Have you ever had someone leave a question or comment that you wanted to respond but you were unsure where to reply to them?
I usually go on over to their blog and say RYC.............
Wouldn't it take forever to go to everyones blog and leave comments to their comments? It makes me tired just thinking about it. But it seems as if blogger has done a little something to help us out. Now when I get ready to leave a comment there is something I can check if I want to recieve follow up comments.
"Follow-up comments will be sent to slgb65@yahoo.com."
Now the question is -- am I going to get every bodies comments or just the comments of the blog author. If I get everyones--I am going to have a full inbox.
I think maybe I'll just go back and check for follow up comments.

How cool it would be if talking to God could be a little like posting a comment?
I could read the Bible or have a thought and then click on leave a comment.
In the box, I could put all my thoughts and questions and then click publish.
Now here is where the questions develop.
Will He come directly to me and respond via the Holy Spirit?
Will a response come through someone else?
Should I be on the look out in His word for a response?
How cool would it be is He just showed up in my living room in person and said,
RYC........

I think I would like that.
Shoot---who am I kidding?
He has never answered me face to face. (If He has you-I would love to hear the story.)
I would probably freak if He showed up in my living room. Then like a crazy person, I would probably stand there with my mouth hanging open-a glazed look in my eyes. He would probably get a silly grin on His face and walk over and with his finger to gently close the fly trap.
........................
Back to the real world.
As much as I would like this to happen, I guess I will have to wait for eternity for a face to face. Until then- I will just have to keep my ears open. If I don't hear the clear voice of the Holy Spirit right away then I will keep and eye out for response in His word. And if I don't get an answer that way- then I will have to keep my ears open when talking to those who love Him.
He will use whatever He chooses to respond to my prayers and questions.
But the one thing I do know--He always reads my comments and He always responds.
No anonymous when He is involved.