Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere!

I don't know about ya'll
but when cool starts to creep into the everyday air.......I feel the urge to COOK!
What is up with that? Do you think maybe in days gone by it was a natural urge brought on by the need to fatten up for winter time?
News break.......I don't need to fatten up! :0 We are actually in the process of off loading some fat! But PlEASE don't let this turn you aside from turning on those ovens and giving this recipe a try.After all we don't have to eat all that we cook. Although I might add that this bread tastes fabulous with a little butter warmed in a pan and then sprinkled with a little powdered sugar.
Add a cup of coffee or vanilla almond tea........be still my heart!

For me nothing brings back great memories from childhood faster
than great smells coming from the kitchen.
I know I have probably listed this recipe before...but it is SOOO good. And it is easy.
You can reduce the cinnamon by one teaspoon and add a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg--I find I like it this way. But it is great both ways.
Usually around Christmas...yes, it will be here soon....I buy the little disposable loaf tins and one recipe will make 4 small ones. And like the recipe says....it freezes very well.
Enjoy! Just don't eat it all. :)

Reconnecting weekend

Well, I would say that the above was what the weekend was all about......but it wasn't...... and I am glad. Keith and I needed some time to be with each other and really reconnect. Life gets busy and all the "to do's" become more important than the "want to's". I was missing my man.
This weekend we got to concentrate on the want to's.
Did we do a whole lot? NOPE!
Did we have an agenda? Nope!
Was it beautiful? Yes!
We headed into areas where we had not yet been ....thank heaven for the invention of the GPS. Although there were times when I am not sure if the little lady knew where she was or where she was sending us. And on a side note.......Have you ever wondered why they put a female voice on the GPS devices? I don't know if that helps us as female back seat drivers or hinders us. ;)
At least with her.........he does have the opption to turn the volume off. :)
We did have fun on the back roads..one of my favorite things...and stumbled on some small towns having their fall or heritage festivals.
These pictures were taken at The Appalachian Heritage Festival in a town called Blountville.
The Sulivan County Historical Preservation Association was responsible for this event. Money raised help the historical society keep up some of the towns historical sites.

It was a good thing it was only in the high 60's or this sweet lady giving tours of an old Inn would have been in trouble. How great to be having jean weather in September........not something
I am used to after living in Louisiana.
There were all kinds of booths and we ended up buying some homemade apple butter from a local church. I was tempted for just a second to adopt a dog....one of the booths....but once I thought of the house training that would have to take place in our camper the answer was--NO.
After we left this little town we traveled on another hour or two and stumbled on another town having their fall days. And because Keith saw a outdoor sportsman's shop I was able to bribe him to stop again to look around. I loved that they shut down main street and people were everywhere mingling and having fun. Fall was in the air and people were just out enjoying it!
We spent the weekend bouncing back and forth between Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. Keith let me sleep Saturday morning while he went out and spied out the territory and picked up breakfast............breakfast in bed---it was very nice.
Then he told me that we were only about thirty miles from the Virginia line so I told him we should cross on over. It was beautiful! The day turned a little rainy but it was still so nice.

Holding tight to my camera...while hanging out the window... I caught some trees heading into fall. Excuse the blur....that is what happens when you are going the speed limit while trying to take pictures. I don't think we were in a hurry to get anywhere but we would have gotten NOWHERE if we had stopped everytime I wanted to a take a picture.

As we were heading into the mountains the clouds started decending. It was cozy in the warm truck....and the view was awe inspiring. Have I ever mentioned how close the mountains make me feel to God? Yes, I figured I had......but I can never say it enough!

I just thought this was cool. And of course there were all kinds of spiritual applications going through my head.......but I won't go into that now.

I finally got Keith to stop so that I could take a close up of the color. Tracy (from the Maw Maw club) gave me some new water color tools for my b-day and I would love to see if I can get some of this color on paper. It has been a long time...we shall see.

And rounding the mountain toward home this was the view of the sky.
"Sigh"

I enjoyed my reconnecting weekend with my man. :)
I also had some great time complimenting and communicating with my God about the fantastic job He did with creation.
Hmmmm.......it was a great weekend.

And the winner is!

Hey ladies....finally home!

I am here to take care of a little fun and then tomorrow I'll be back to talk about my trip.

Now it is time to draw a number for our winner!

Now I know ya'll know that I am a totally honest individual ;) .........

but since I have seen so many women actually displaying their random generator time stamp....here is mine.

Here are your random numbers:

8

Timestamp: 2008-09-28 23:10:13 UTC

That means that Sunny Susan has won the friendship ball! And since I do not have your snail mail-- Susan would you please email it to me so that I can get this in the mail?

Congrats and I'll talk more tomorrow.

Love you guys!

See ya soon!

Friendship Ball

Keith and I are going to go away for my birthday.
So I am going to take some blogging time off.

Behave while I am gone. ;)
I am going to do my birthday drawing
on Sunday when we get back-instead of Saturday.
So I will announce the winner of the friendship ball then.

Don't forget to enter if you have not.
Just click on the picture and it will take you to the post so you can leave a quote.
Thank you for all your birthday wishes!
See ya soon!

Empty your cup

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who knew all the right answers?
They may come to you for advice or help and as soon as you get something out of your mouth you hear the words....Yes, I know but......
I have been here........the know it all was me.
Coming to God holding up my cup of need.....and yet when He begins the process of pouring....my cup is already full. Full of my own knowledge........and smarts.
I picture Him looking into my face tenderly and with very obvious hand motions.....showing me that I need to empty my cup.
Realizing that I was asking Him to warm up my goodness with a little of His.......
shame......repentance.
Tipping my cup........I now place it on the saucer and sit still.
This next song has really played in my heart quite often the last few weeks.
Peace be still
Peace be still
Please be still and KNOW that I am God.

.

Lyrics

Another year older

Yes, it is true.....it is that time of year again. And as much as I would love to be able to share some of my Birthday cake with you.....well, it just can't happen. I know..you are crushed. :)

But, I got an idea from another friend who is having a b-day the day before mine......a birthday give away. How does that sound?
A few weeks ago I was hunting through a shop for a neat giveaway..and this is what I found.
It is called a friendship ball.
The person who first gives this ball fills it with something. It is a sweet little silver ball....sorry this picture does not do it credit. Anyway, the first person fills it with something(mine was already filled) and then they send it to a friend. Later on some special occasion the receiver refills it and sends it back to the friend. Now we are not going to do that.....but if you want to start this tradition with someone......you now have a friendship ball.
This is filled with bath goodies.

Here is what it looks like on the outside. It is sweet and has a little silver clamp to keep it closed.
Wouldn't this be a sweet tradition to share with a sister or even a daughter?
Might be a neat Christmas gift. ;)

Here is how this will work. In order to be entered in the drawing for this tiny trinket you must give a birthday quote in your comment. If you don't know one and know how to use google......copy and paste and you're in!
But those who don't leave a birthday quote....well, I know you all will. :)
Here is an example------

Thanks to modern medical advances such as antibiotics, nasal spray, and Diet Coke, it has become routine for people in the civilized world to pass the age of 40, sometimes more than once.
~Dave Barry, "Your Disintegrating Body," Dave Barry Turns 40, 1990

This will be up till the 27th as a sticky post....new post underneath.
On the 27th--my birthday--I will draw a name.
And your friendship ball will be on it's way!
Hey, just think of it as early Christmas shopping. ;)

The Opposite Life

Several years ago the original Matrix movie caught my attention. I am sure I was not the only one who looked at the movie and thought......that is my life as a Christian. Well, my life in a souped up Hollywood version. In case you did not see the movie here is a little description of
the movies content.

The film describes a future in which reality perceived by humans is actually the Matrix, a simulated reality created by sentient machines in order to pacify and subdue the human population while their bodies' heat and electrical activity are used as an energy source. Upon learning this, computer programmer "Neo" is drawn into a rebellion against the machines.

There have been many times my imagination has tried to capture a picture of what our lives as Christians really look like. While I am thankful that I can not see the angelic forces at work in our world.......how much easier would it be to remember that we do not fight against flesh and blood if we could see our true enemy?
Instead we must rely on the Spirit that lives within us. Part of His job is to remind us that what our earthly minds see---well.. it is not necessarily true. I was thinking about this yesterday...have you ever thought about the fact that when scripture tells us that sometimes we entertain angels unaware-sometimes those angels might not be fighting on God's team?
Really the only way we can trust that what we see with our earthly eyes is what it really is-is for us to learn to listen to the voice of the Spirit in us. To be willing to view the things of this earth through the filter that the Son who lives in us-gives us.
He will train and equip me to fight the good fight with heavenly weapons....as His life becomes the life I live in and through.

In Matrix the movie- the humans can not fight against the force that is trying to control them unless they are hooked into the computer.
The battle is one that is fought in their minds.
See where I am going?
The battle we fight here on earth as Christians will be won or lost... beginning in our minds.
Our brains over the years have been trained by this world to believe that what we see is the only reality. The woman in the grocery store is downright rude......and if we are not careful.....we do not see recognize the true enemy whispering in her ear the words she spoke. Our husband says something that offends or deeply hurts us..and if we are not careful.....he becomes the enemy. You could put any number of scenarios here as example.
If we are going to remain free from the pull and lies of the enemy that is trying to control us...... we must learn to live in the opposite world.

A world where our minds are renewed to the truth.....minute by minute.
A place that remains a place of safety. A place that when the emotions of this world
start to trigger an ungodly reaction in us.....we can run and see the trick for what it is.
Our enemy thrives on the results of the havoc he has brought about in our world.
Just like the computer in The Matrix was fueled by the electrical energy of the humans connected to it........satan is fueled when we engage in evil instead of good.

So today I want to remember to live in the life that is opposite to this world....the world that my eyes see. I want to see through His eyes. The only way to do that is to remain in Him.
How do I do that?
I remember the truth. And then I allow Him to renew my mind to that truth.
How do I do that?
I stay in the Word.......it will clean out the lies and trash that bombard my mind and eyes.
And.....I stay connected to the real world through prayer.
I thank Him that He has given me the mind of Christ. I thank Him that this is not my home.
And I thank Him for sending the Spirit to lead and guide me into all truth.
The Spirit will be the glasses through which I view this world. He will teach me when to fight the good fight with words and when to keep my mouth shut and pray. He will teach me that what comes natural to my flesh....well, it is not of the Spirit.
There will be tests. Times when the Spirit will step back and let me see what I have learned....and where I have not yet arrived.
But until the day when we will see Him face to face and we shall be as He is-----

I will strive by His grace and love to continue living
the opposite life
until His life is found whole and complete in me.

Thanks for taking this journey through my mind. ;)

Pictures and quote from The Wikipedia free encyclopedia.

Shortybear......an update

For those of you who blog with Denise at Shortybears Place....well you might just have realized she has been MIA.
I tried getting a hold of her earlier this week but couldn't.
It is not good when one of my girls goes missing.......my mind becomes the mind of a protective Mom. :) I will admit that it leads me to pray....and that is a good thing.

Anyway, I finally got a hold of her tonight.
She said she has had a horrible case of the flu and if I understood correctly....she spent a little time in the hospital. She did sound good now....so all is well with that.
BUT.....her computer decided it was tired and needed a little emergence room care.
So it is in the "hospital" getting fixed...hopefully.
She'll find out something tomorrow.
She said, "Tell them that I love them very much and I miss them".
Eddie is trying hard to get her back on line.

That is it............it did give me a good excuse to call her.
Why do we need a good excuse to call our blogging friends?
I guess I need to get over the butterflies in the pit of my stomach.
It was nice and she said I sounded just like she thought I would.

That might be an interesting post.
It could be called.....What do you think I sound like?
Hmmm ;)

This and that

I just wanted to let you know that my hubby got home early this morning. :)
Thank you for your prayers.
He was able to help out some family and make a little money.
He was also able to help our son get some stuff under control and was with him when he went Monday to join the Navy.
I actually think that this is going to be a good thing for Michael.
So I am glad he made this move.

-------

If you are interested-- the following are a few things I am learning in the study I am doing.

1. God created our bodies to tell us when we need fuel and how much we need. Just like we don't fill up our car when it is already full...we should not fill up our tanks when our stomach is not empty. With gas the price it is now you can be certain we won't waste gas and money by overflowing our gas tanks. The same with our bodies. To eat beyond contentment or full.... it causes us to waste money and store fat.

2. When our blood sugar drops under a certain level it lets our body know that we need more fuel. The stomach begins to produce acid...which then leads to hunger signals. You may have a burning sensation, hollow feeling, stomach growl. These sensations occur below the rib cage.
We should not ignore these sensations......just like we don't ignore the fact that our body needs to breathe. If we are in a situation where we can not eat at that moment-after 10 to 15 minutes the feelings will pass. You body will then pull fat from the body for fuel. \0/ Feelings of hunger will return in about 45 minutes. Don't ignore these feelings for long.....it tends to lead to over eating when you do sit down to eat.

3. When it is time to sit down and eat watch how much you put on your plate. You might even want to use a salad plate. EAT SLOWLY! Put your fork down between bites and take a sip of drink between bites. It takes your body at least 15 minutes to notify your blood that it has gotten fuel. Pay attention to your stomach. When you feel content or politely full....STOP!
If you put in more than your body is calling for......it will be stored as fat.
Bottom line.......SLOW DOWN!

4.Here is something interesting.
Have you ever noticed how great food tastes when you are really hungry?
Have you ever noticed that when you are full or stuffed that you can keep hunting around your plate for that same great taste but, you can't find it?
That is because God has created our taste buds to help us out.
When we are hungry they are "awake" but, when we get full they will shut down.
Think about that the next time you eat and see if it is not true.

That is it for now.
What I know to be true......... food is not bad. He created it. Of course I am not talking about all the chemicals they are putting into some of our food.
When I consistently eat more than my body needs......I get a clear picture of what is in my heart. Scripture says that it is not what goes in a man that pollutes him...but rather what comes out of the heart.

Mark 7:14-23 (New International Version)

Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.' "^[a] 17After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18"Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? 19For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.") 20He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' 21For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "

As usual-- your thoughts are welcome. :)

My new baby

If you remember back- on this post I talked about how much I enjoyed spending some time with my big brother as he played his fiddle with a few people.
I had the best time and was going to borrow my SIL's dulcimer...but I really hated to borrow something that was a gift from her hubby. Can you imagine....Uh, oops I broke your present.
NO...I don't think so.
Sooooo, remembering that I will soon have one of those days you have to celebrate that you are
now another year older......I decided to ask for a early gift from my hubby.
Actually he was pretty happy because he was racking his brain
trying to figure out what to get me.
I know you are dying to see a picture of my new baby.
Here she is.....


Isn't she beautiful?
You can't see it that well but at the top there are two birds cut out of the wood...I choose to think they are red birds. Cuz ya know I have a thing about red birds. They remind me of His love.
And then look at the bottom....how about that for a reminder?

The music for a dulcimer looks a little different than a normal music sheet. It is also a lot easier to read...thus it makes it easier to learn to play the instrument.
Here is a song that they play on Monday nights.
The three rows are for the three strings. You will also notice the numbering. The dulcimer has bars under the strings kind of like a guitar. If it says 3....you go down to three and put your finger on whatever string they tell you to. If there is no number you don't have to put your finger on any string. Pretty easy don't you think?
I have to remind you that I did not grow up on mountain music......and since I can not read music....this is more my pace right now.
Remember this?
So this is my pace right now.....I'll let you know the first time I feel confident enough to play with the Monday night crew.
Can a person in their early/mid 40's learn to play an instrument?
WE SHALL SEE!

Question for all of you who had some Philosophy in college or read it in a book.
My brother was wondering in a post on his blog what this principle is called------New concepts, to which someone has little or no reference point, take time to introduce or else the person will think they are either silly or misguided and will dismiss them out of hand.

He is doing a little research on our society. And there lack of awareness about why America
was founded and the first place--our foundation.

Honk! Honk! ;)

Today while making the treck over to the laundry I heard the old familiar Honk, Honk.
I looked up to see at least 40 geese flying in V formation.
I couldn't help but grin.....it was very comforting. Kind of reminded me of ya'll.
What!......you remind me of geese? You sure do!
A year or so ago I while doing children's church I ran across this little meaty piece and shared it with our children and church. I learned some new things and my heart was encouraged.
Enjoy!
Honk! Honk!
I think this will give new meaning to------- Honk if you love Jesus!

SCRIPTURE: We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Romans 12:6-8 (NIV)

You have probably heard someone call another person who has done something foolish, "A silly goose!" Well, I can tell you that geese are not silly! We can learn a lot from the goose. For example, I am sure that most of you probably know that when geese fly, they fly in a "V" formation. Have you ever wondered why the geese fly in a "V" formatiom?
Recent scientific studies have given us the answer. It has been learned that as each goose flaps its wings, it gives a lift to the one immediately following. It has been determined that flying this way gives the geese about 70% more flying range.
Of course, that means that the lead goose is working harder. When the lead goose gets tired, he falls back into the formation and another takes his place. Now, that's team work!
If you have ever seen a flock of geese flying, you have also noticed that all the time they are flying, the geese are "honking." They do this to encourage one another. It is always easier to do something difficult when you know you aren't flying alone, isn't it?
Sometimes, a goose becomes sick or is injured and falls to the ground. When that happens, two other geese go down and stay with it until it is well. If it dies, they join another formation and continue on their journey.
(Me...is that fantastic or what?)
Do you think the geese are silly? It sounds to me like they are pretty smart! What lessons do you think we could learn from the geese?
We could learn that it is important for all church members to share the responsibility within the church rather than letting the same loyal ones work until they drop!
We could learn that it is important to "honk" encouragement to other workers in the church.
We could learn that it is important for us to look after those who are sick or in need.
There is a lot that we can learn from the goose, isn't there?

Dear Jesus, help us to use the gifts that you have given us to serve and encourage others. Amen.

by Geoff Wilson

HELLO!!!!!! Community is Knocking at the Door!

My last post was about a study that I am doing this fall.
I want to thank you all for your support and for a few of the comments and emails I got from those who are looking out for me.
I will have to say that it makes me feel all the closer to the women I have met here. Women that have walked with me through the deep waters....and stuck around even when I was afraid that they would go down with me.
That you would care to come to me and let me know that there may be some theological issues held by the woman who is doing the Bible study......it thrills my heart.
In a world where people can see others being beaten both physically and emotionally and not do anything.....it shows we have something real here.
Do you realize that?
I have heard today about community. About how it is no longer as it once was. How we use the walls of our homes to protect us from anyone getting to know the real us.
And heaven forbid that they would show up unannounced to just visit for awhile without making prior arrangements. Oh the horror! :)
After all our homes might be a mess....we might be a mess.
I think we have taken a step passed that in the blogger world.
Stepping into the lives of others and truly touching them with the love of God....even if we think it might step on their toes----that is a huge step. (Edge..no pun intended ;)
I was touched when I got your response.
I wanted to tell satan.....IN YOUR FACE!

We are here to love, protect and submit to others in the body of Christ.
WE NEED EACH OTHER!
We are the body! Can these dry bones live? I think we have proven that they do--right here in our neck of the woods.

So, just to let you know.....I am aware of the topics of conversation surrounding the person who started this study I am doing.
And although I may have some questions that I would love to be able to sit down and talk to the founder about........the premise of the study- I do believe- is based on a great truth from scripture. That truth......No other gods allowed!
It may not be the same for everyone......but. I have grown to love food and what it does for my emotions. I probably have heard it's call more in the past several months than I have heard the call of God. I know.......sad. The idea that we do often seek things to fill a void that should be filled by God.....I think everyone could agree on that one. Some use shopping, reading, t.v, drugs, relationships, blogging :0! ..... And I---I have been using food to fill a void or ease the discomfort of change.
I don't believe that I really got this message the last time I did this study.
It takes more than knowledge to change a life. Hmmm, or should I say...a waist line. ;)

Anyhoo.........long winded as usual.....but I want to thank you for Knocking on my door with your comments and concerns. That means the body is truly loving the way it should.
I love hearing your thoughts and concerns.
You feel free to call me on anything that I post here that might not be on the straight and narrow. I want you to hold me accountable. The Spirit, the Bible and you will keep me walking the straight and narrow. Feel free to get in my business! :)
Knock on my door anytime!
Here is a little something I want to pass on to those who invest
and believe in getting involved in my life.
Pretty award......here is what it means.
To translate the gift from Portuguese to English, it means:"This blog invests and believes, the proximity"[meaning, that blogging makes us 'close' -being close through proxy] .
This is to go to each of you who has invested in my life.
I truly love you all......and I don't say that lightly.
I want to thank Denise at Shortybear and Mary at Mary's Writing Nook for passing this along to me.....I am honored and touched.
Thank you!

What I am doing this fall

Being new to the area I was really hoping to find a women's Bible study
in the area...but this did not happen. Now I know why.
Several years ago I did this study....half heartedly.
For those of you unfamiliar with this study here is a little about it.

If you want to stop dieting forever, learn to eat in the way that God planned for your body, and lose your extra weight permanently, this is the perfect class for you! You will find self-control that you never thought you could have as you enjoy all the wonderful and God-given foods you have been denying yourself for so long. And the best thing is, you will no longer feel controlled by the food or have the desire to binge at night when no one is looking! Exodus Out of Egypt will teach you how to plug back into your God-given physical signals, and you will find incredible freedom in your eating as you learn to follow God’s perfect will in regard to food..

For years I have battled with my weight.
A little over a year ago I went on a particular diet and lost 40 pounds. I was so excited that I had finally done it! And then life got a little tough.....and I went back to food for comfort.
The fat was all to willing to come back. :(
I knew that I had a problem with my heart. The food did not need to learn to behave....I did. Anytime you go to something or someone besides God for love and comfort.....He is not going to let you be a happy camper. And each time I look in the mirror.....I see the evidence of my wandering heart. It makes me sad. And yes, a little mad.

In looking for a study to do I decided to go to the Weigh Down site. Actually I was looking to see if a church in the area might be doing this study. I was excited to see that I would not need to look for a class because now they were offering it on line.
My class started the day I checked in......what sweet timing on God's part.
Last night was the first real class. There were people from all over the United States. We watch a video and then the chat room is open for questions. There are two women who have been through the course and maintained for years that are the moderators.

So if you don't mind from time to time I will share some of the things that I am learning and how much I am loosing. This will help hold me accountable before God and man.
I pray my heart is ready for this.

If you want to find out more about this study you can click on the picture and it will take you to the home page for Weigh Down.
There!
Now it is out there and the true journey must begin.

A Little Tasty Tidbit

It has been a long time since my time in the restaurant business...but I do still love to cook.
Now, you must understand that I have a meat and potatoes husband.
If I pan sear a nice filet and do some baked potatoes....I have hit his
love language on the head. ;) Usually the only time I get to cook a little something fancy is at family get togethers or on birthdays.
When Holly decided to put together a cookbook for the bloggers.....it was good to be doing a little instructional recipe stuff again. I spent quite a bit of time doing training since there is such a huge turn over in the restaurant business.
So if the recipe that is to follow seems very detailed...it is the teacher talking. :)
Halfmoon Girl asked if I could post one of the recipes that I submitted for the cookbook.
This is a variation of a sauce that we used quite often in the fine dinning restaurant I worked in.
Nothing would thrill me more than to be in your kitchen with you showing you how easy it is to put some of these things out. Of course the world has changed quite a bit since I wore a chef hat. Now there are classes all over the place you can take and t.v is full of instructional cooking shows.
You may be way past the info that I have put out here.....but the teacher in me says
that I must keep it easy.
But, if you have any questions about this...or anything else....let me know.
We will see how much I remember. :)

Dakota Shrimp Pasta

3 to 4 pounds peeled medium 70/90 sized shrimp (frozen or fresh)
1 cup thinly sliced Tasso
4 sticks unsalted butter--softened
1 t chopped rosemary
6 cloves roasted garlic chopped
3 dashes of Worcestershire
3 T Lemon juice
1 cup white wine-does not need to be expensive...but don't use anything sweet.
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and White Pepper
3 green onions finely chopped
One pound cooked angel hair pasta

Directions:
Go ahead if you can and cook your pasta in advance. You can rinse it to remove the starch (that makes it stick) and store it in the refrigerator covered until it needs to be reheated. Also, if you cook too much pasta…just freeze it. Thaw it out by placing it in boiling water. You can heat your precooked pasta the same way.
In advance take your peeled garlic and boil it in a little water. When the garlic is tender- but not mushy- drain off the water. This boiling removes the bite of the garlic that gives bad breath. (roasted garlic taste incredible in cream sauces or soups.) Then take a little olive oil or vegetable oil and lightly brown the garlic on the outside. Once it is cool chop it so that it is ready for your sauce when you start the cooking.
This would also be a good time to thinly slice your tasso and set it aside.
Now with every thing out and ready to go we are ready to start a sauce that will not take long at all to cook. That is why it is good to have a pot of water on the side hot and ready to heat your pasta.

Now that we are ready…..It is very important not to over cook your shrimp. So, get your pan out and melt half a stick of butter. Add 1 teaspoon of garlic and then add your shrimp. You want your pan hot…just not hot enough to burn your garlic.
Once your shrimp are in the pan….season them right away with salt and pepper. It is always important to season seafood as it is cooking in the beginning.
Once the shrimp are cooked remove them from the heat and remove them from the liquid. Place them aside in a bowl with your thinly sliced tasso. Just in case you are not familiar with tasso-- it can be made from ham or turkey. It is a smoked product that adds great flavor to this pasta and it is also great in cream sauces.
Now that our shrimp are removed from the pan it is time to work on the sauce. We will let the shrimp and tasso sit till the sauce is finished.
Remove the rest of the butter from wrappers and cut butter into thick slices. We want this to soften in order to be ready to add to our sauce.
In the pan with the left over juice add everything but butter, heavy cream and green onions. We want to let this reduce- to about half. Once it is reduced… pour in your heavy cream and let reduce again by not quite half. Don’t worry if it looks broken or separated-- it will come together as it simmers and reduces. Don’t forget to stir during this process--do not BOIL.
Once it is reduced we want to turn the heat down to a medium low. We don’t want to boil during this end process. But we do want to let the butter melt.
With a spoon or wisk..constantly stirring…. slowly start to add the butter. Add a little and stir constantly as it melts and then add more until you are all finished. It will have a creamy consistency. Taste to see if more salt or pepper need to be added. Once the flavor is good add the tasso, shrimp, rosemary and a liberal amount of sliced green onions.
Serve sauce over pasta with French bread or some type of crusty bread….everyone will go crazy for this sauce and need something to catch every bit.

This is a great sauce with seafood of any kind. If you decide to broil or bake a meaty fish and want a great sauce…this is it. You can even leave out the seafood and tasso and just use the sauce plain. Garnish your fish with a sprig of rosemary and a thin slice of lemon. What’s not to like?

This sauce does not hold easily. But if you need to you can put it in a pot (bain marie) and let it sit in medium warm water until you are ready for it. I find that it cooks so quickly that when everything else is almost finished--that is a good time to put this sauce together.

Enjoy!

Finger Prints In The Mountains

I mentioned to a friend the other day that one day I would love to make a collage of the pictures I had taken. And one day I would place them
on a wall in my new home...where oh where is my next home?
She then asked what I would put in those frames.
Wellllll...of course it would have to be pictures of the mountains.
And then I told her that it would kind of be nice to do a zoom in and show what was found in those mountains. You know, the special things He had created for us....the
finger prints He has left behind.
Of course my mind could not stop here............the wheels started turning. A thought evolving.
Smoke coming from my ears.....well, you get the picture. ;)
So here is where my mind went. Hang on and we will see what comes from of this brain of mine.
Or maybe it would be better to say...from the Spirit within me.
Yes, I think that is a little more accurate.

If you have been reading my blog you know that I have a GREAT love for the mountains.
I love the way they look from afar and I love how they look close up. Their majesty rising from the valley floor...well, it floors me. I wonder at their creation. How God pushed rocks and earth and then groomed them with lush green trees leaving rocks exposed to complete the picture . The richness of it all!
I love all the tiny details that go into their makeup.
The deeper I have gone into the mountains....away from the hustle and bustle of the noisy world...the more at peace I am. It is something to sit in it's silence and breathe deep. The smells of the earth awaken something in me. There is such fullness there.
Depth.

I began to think how like God the mountains are.....how like their Maker.
They are mighty and everlasting. A source of refuge in a changing world.
And like the writer of Job noted.....they hold hidden treasures for those willing to hunt for them.
"We all know how silver seams the rocks, we've seen the stuff from which gold is refined, We're aware of how iron is dug out of the ground and copper is smelted from rock. Miners penetrate the earth's darkness, searching the roots of the mountains for ore, digging away in the suffocating darkness. Far from civilization, far from the traffic, they cut a shaft, and are lowered into it by ropes. Earth's surface is a field for grain, but its depths are a forge Firing sapphires from stones and chiseling gold from rocks. Vultures are blind to its riches, hawks never lay eyes on it. Wild animals are oblivious to it, lions don't know it's there. Miners hammer away at the rock, they uproot the mountains. They tunnel through the rock and find all kinds of beautiful gems. They discover the origins of rivers, and bring earth's secrets to light.
Job 28:1-3

Over this life there have been many times when I was content just to love God from afar.
Loving Him loving me was enough.
Then it seemed that this world began to close in on me..... and a desire to run and hide began to develop. This desire to run from the chaos sent me searching for a place to hide. And yes.....it drove me to Him. Funny how that all worked out for my benefit.
Once I found my refuge on the mountain of God.....I found it a lovely place to dwell.
In my excitement I found that there was also a desire to explore.. to see what was just around the next fallen tree.
His beauty was all the more evident in the "earthiness" that surrounded me. Each day there seemed to be a growing desire to capture a new glimpse at the intimate details of Him.
I was no longer content to view His majesty from afar.
I needed to fill my lungs with the aroma of my God.
Life without Him is a dry and lonely place.

Song of Solomon 2:8
Look! Listen! There's my lover! Do you see him coming? Vaulting the mountains, leaping the hills. My lover is like a gazelle, graceful; like a young stag, virile. Look at him there, on tiptoe at the gate, all ears, all eyes—ready! My lover has arrived and he's speaking to me!

He is the lover of our souls...will you let Him draw you away to the mountain of God?
He is speaking....will we listen?
Love Ya!

Good Food Coming To A Kitchen Near YOU!

TODAY IS THE DAY!

Do you know how much I love doing these give aways?
I actually have a few more things stashed away....if it would not get old
I would do one every week.
I know, I know......time to get down to business.
I was only going to give away one cookbook... but I change my mind.
SO... this morning two lovely women are going to win!
Get out your chef jacket and hat...turn on the oven get all the pots and pans out...well, maybe wait on turning on the oven. :)

This morning the random number generator produce the number 6 and 19!
That means that the winners are.....
Edge of Design and Luvmy4sons!

Email me your snail mail address and I will get your cookbooks to you!
You are going to love them.
And if you didn't win
and you would still love a cookbook full of recipes
from your blogging sisters...........go on over and see Holly at CROWNLAIDDOWN
and she will be glad to help you get one.

Thank you for playing along.
I will have something new for next month....if I can wait that long. :)

Music in the Moutians

Tonight was a good night.
I got an invitation to go with my brother on a guys night out. O.K, I guess it became a mixed night out......but it was so good for my soul. :)
My brother began about 6 years ago taking fiddle lessons.
Dad had always wanted his family to be a musical family. Mom plays the piano beautifully. And while I was young she played piano for our small church. Yes, she tried to teach me the piano...but to my regret....I never stuck to it. Alas, my Dads dream died. So much for having a family that could play heavenly music together. :(
But, hope was born when my brother started lessons and stuck with them.
On Monday nights a group of people from different stages in life all get together at a open air pavilion and spend a few hours enjoying mountain melodies.
There were fiddles, mountain dulcimers, guitars, banjo's, and a few foot stompers.
Yes, I would be included in the last group. :)
The temperature was in the low 70's and there was a sweet breeze blowing as they enjoyed the melody produced by seasoned players and beginners alike. Let me just tell you that it was refreshing. There were some old hymns like- I'll Fly Away and even older still songs like.....
The Church in the Wildwoods. It brought back such good memories.
I will say that there were a few thrown in there that I did not know...like...Whiskey Before Breakfast. Don't know how I missed that one growing up. :)
And I will have to say that I wish they had chosen another song to end with.....you know those tend to stick in your mind. So I shall go to bed tonight with....Your Cheatin Heart playing in my mind.....THANK YOU very much.
But, there were some good laughs and I throughly enjoyed myself.
My brother is going to see if I can borrow a Mountain or lap dulcimer to see if I can pick it up.
Goodness......I sure hope he has not picked up my Dad's vision! :o

Tomorrow will be another full day.
We will take his kids to the dentist....all five of them!
He has three that are his own and two that are foster kids.
That is a lot of teeth!
And then tomorrow we will head to Asheville for the fair.
All I can say is....IT IS GOOD TO GET OUT AND ABOUT! \o/

Have a beautiful day......and may you find that you have a heavenly melody
playing in your heart all the day long.
:)

Subterranean Grief

Subterranean Grief.....this was a phrase I heard today while in Sunday school.
It was spoken by a woman who is the care giver of her husband that has Alzheimers.
She said most days she feels fine.....but she knows that her grief lingers just under the surface.
Thus, subterranean grief.
It is ever flowing, always there........ usually hidden by surface events.

A subterranean river is one that runs below the surface.
Sometimes it is natural...at other times it is made by man.
Unless you are looking for it or know it already exists....you may never notice it's presence.

Now for the grief part.
Many of us only associate grief with the death of a loved one. And yes, this is when most of us acknowledge that this would be the most obvious time to experience this emotion.
But according to the encyclopedia--
--"Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss".
And according to the same source...... "Losses can range from loss of employment, pets, status, a sense of safety, order, or possessions, to the loss of loved ones".
How many of us have been through times of grief and never recognized it for what it was?
How many of us have moved on...neatly placing memories in boxes under the bed?

If you have experienced a time of loss I am sure you have heard that there are certain stages of grief that a person should go through.
Here are some...
1.Shock and Denial
2. Volatile reactions
3. Disorganization and Despair
4. Reorganization

And society would allow you these stages. But, if grief can be a little larger by definition......do we allow others to move through these stages also? I don't think so. Maybe because the person does not know the full extent of what they have experienced.....maybe because as the body of Christ we tend to want to slap a band aid on a situation.
I have been a band aid slapper in the past. :(
And then it happened to me.
I guess that is why this message hit me today. And I guess that is why I could identify so well with number three. My band aid should have been able to be removed long ago.....but it never healed because it was never treated.

When I was listening this morning....I had never thought that maybe I was experiencing grief.
I guess I tend to be a pretty matter of fact person...black and white.
Situations would occur....I would try and put them in proper perspective and then move on.

Since the 9/11 anniversary is coming up, I will use that as an example.
How many of us who did not loose a loved one or friend realize that what we were feeling was grief? The shock.......yes. Volatile reactions......yes. Disorganiazation and despair...yes.
And finally....Reorganization.............have you reached this spot?
Have you allowed God to heal this dagger to your soul?

Maybe you have. But what if situations did not stop here?
What if life seemed to continue to pile situations on after this.
The end of a marriage......might not have been your own......maybe it was a close friend.
Maybe you lost a job or family moved away.
There are so many things that I could fill in here.......I know you could too.

Before you know it you are sitting on your butt.....wondering how in the world you got there.
You feel like life is swirling around you and you don't know how to get back up on your feet.
We can say it is all Spiritual.
Get it right with God and give it to Him......pick up your bed and walk...you are in the way.
And you know what........most of us move on. The walking wounded.

Lately I have looked at myself and wondered what the heck was going on.
Why the slump?
Why can I not get back up and start moving again?
And then lately because of the hurricanes- a few here and there have been posting about these and a few well remember ones from the past.
I finally began to realize that I feel lost. No, not just because of Katrina and what it did to the world I knew. But, add to that the death of a loved one, the death of a pet, the dissolving of a church body...and I could add a few more here. And walaa....my problem.
I think the barrel is full and all the monkeys want out!
We will experience grief in this world.
Joseph's life was filled in the beginning with grief.
Job knew grief deeply.
And the scripture even says that Jesus was crushed by His grief.

Have you been betrayed?
Have you lost family or possessions?
Have you walked alone?

Then you have experienced grief.
Have you let Him walk you through the stages? It is so easy to quote verses to ourselves and just try and forget it all.......at least try to.
I know that God had a purpose in it all. I know He will bring great glory from the path I have walked if I allow Him.
I am still human, and just like Job
allowed God to walk him through his trial.....so must you and I.
Matthew 5:4------Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Dear God...please help us stop stuffing our grief. Instead help us hold it up in weary hands to you so that you may heal our wounded hearts. Thank you for all the women here who have helped this child of yours in the last year.
Thank you for bringing those by who would not run from the trauma in my life.
Thank you for allowing them to be a reminder of the fresh water that is available in You. A water that heals a weary soul.
Thank you for being our healer. And thank you for giving us a love that we can love others in return. We love you.

Breathe Deep

Psalm 121

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

1 I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!

3 He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.

breathe deep o my soul in the peace of your LORD
let it fall heavy like a cloak round your head and shoulders

breathe deep

For those of you who could use a laugh

While over at Shore Stories this morning I found a really cool program she was using to pick out a new hair style. She wanted to make sure when she went in the hair stylists would know just what she was talking about.
So I decided to give it a try.
Umm....not sure that any of these will work for me.
What do you think? :)
# 0
Not even an option!
.

Number 1
Hmmm...not too bad....maybe a little frizzy looking on the bottom.
I think maybe there are some similarities between this and what I have now.

#2
Now this is for my husband who always wondered what I would look like as a blond.
See.....sometimes I do know better!

#3
If it takes as long as it does now to wash my hair......this is a no go in the camper.
I'll be out of hot water before I get all the soap washed out.
I did have this hair cut in 3rd and 4th grade.

#4
Now I am sure at some point in history I had this cut.
That is scary!

#5
Now I do love Barbara.....but, I don't think this is the way to go.
Yikes!

#6
This does not do good things for the jaw line.
I think my face grew an extra 2 feet of jaw.
Not very feminine looking.

This is my spinster librarian look.
Funny but when I was in the 4th grade I wanted to be a librarian.
Not sure what the shadow is on the jaw line......surely not an afternoon shadow.
Either that or I need to be more careful about wearing my sun screen.

Thinking I will stick with this for now!
Don't forget to sign up for the giveaway coming up this Wednesday.
Fall is coming and you know you'll be needing some new recipes.

It's JUST a piece of sand!

Have you ever had something hanging over your head that became bigger and bigger in your mind until what was the size of sand---- soon became a massive rock?
Just so there is no misunderstanding....this was what happened when I found out I had to retake a drivers test in order to get my license here in N.C. Add to that the fact that they wanted every form of I.D. available on the face of the earth....some of which I did not have....the sand was quickly becoming a mountain.

Being very unfamiliar with the rules that accompany not passing a drivers test in a new state...I had visions of this becoming my new mode of transportation.
Can you imagine what beautiful exercise this would have given me?
Might have been a good choice.......I would have saved on gas and would have been
getting into shape at the same time. ;)
Finally after waiting and waiting for a new copy of my social security card....I thought I was ready to go. So in I went with my old drivers license (proving Louisiana thought I could drive), my birth certificate, my marriage license, my social security card, a checkbook from a local bank......and I was set to take my test! Or so I thought.
None of these were enough without proof of where I lived.
Hmmmm.......(me to woman at desk) I don't know how I can provide that since we are staying at a local camp ground.....that is why I have a post office address.
(Woman at desk) Well, I'm sorry but I can not let you take the test without this information.
Sigh (me out loud)........grrrrrrrr! (me on the inside)
And so once again I left without a N.C license.
I called the camp ground owner and asked if she could give me something typed on their letterhead proving we lived there.
(her) Sorry but we don't have letterhead.
Blah, blah, blah, blah...blah! (me explaining the situation to her)
(her) You know, I think we got a piece of mail here yesterday for you......(her checking).... Yes, a letter from the bank! Will that work?
(me to God) THANK YOU JESUS!
~~~~~~~~~~~~

And so once again I am standing before the desk with ALL the info needed!
And now it is time to take the LONG awaited test.
Do I know enough?
Will I remember all the highway signs?
How many drinks may I have before I am legally considered intoxicated?
And since this is an area I am SO acquainted with......NOT!....I don't have much experience with this particular area of the law.
And then it was time. Time to sit in front of the little screen...that made me wish I had brought my granny glasses......and take the TEST.
And bless their hearts----- they show you while you are taking the test how many you are getting wrong...........No, that doesn't make one nervous.
And then it was over.
And then nice woman at the desk asked, "Well, did you pass"?

(Me) YES! And, I only missed two!

I am now the PROUD owner of a N.C drivers license!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Phew!

*Note to self.......DON'T move again!