BITS AND PIECES

HOMEMADE…KID-MADE…RECYCLED SNOWMAN



I love homemade things…especially the little people homemade things…

And, the best part…He made it out things that were going to be thrown away…Mama’s teachin’ him well!

And...recycled paper-towel people...Gramma and Julian are on the left. Oh, how so adorable!



BABIES...ALWAYS BABIES...WOULDN'T THE WORLD SIMPLY STOP WITHOUT THEM? I AM QUITE SURE THAT IT WOULD...



UNCLES AND NEPHEWS...A NEVER-ENDING-GENERTION-TO-GENERATION FUN TIME...









SOME GOOD CLEAN AND WHOLESOME MUSIC TO SING WITH THE LITTLE ONES



BABY CHRISTIAN LIKES TO HELP WHENEVER HE CAN



AND FOR GAMES...WELL, WE HAVE THE EVER FAMOUS NOAH'S ARK!



AND THEN...ON A BIT MORE SECULAR LEVEL...DON'T EAT SPIDEY!



RECIPES...

HOMEMADE FOOT SCRUB



A couple of years back, I was pulled in by a Christmas-time kiosk at the mall…They had Dead Sea foot scrub…In Lemon, nonetheless! It was really nummy-smelling and was nice to use in the shower…

Well, I ran out recently…It lasts a long time…So, I decided to make my own…It’s much cheaper that way…

Vegetable Glycerin (Or a carrier oil such as sweet almond)
Scented oil of your choice…I happened to have Lemon on hand…I love the refreshing smell!
Sea salt…I got this at the health food store…This particular salt is Celtic sea salt

That’s it…Just mix it up, and you have your own homemade foot scrub! As sea salt isn’t white, this has a bit of a gray color to it. One could put in food coloring, but I chose to leave mine au naturel.

CROCK-POT DINNER...LEMON DILL CHICKEN



This chicken is oh so juicy!

4 Skinless boneless chicken breasts
Chicken bouillon to taste
Lemon juice to taste
Dill leaves
Green onions

I don’t measure…Just put in the amount of each ingredient that you think you will like. I love dill and lemon both so was generous with them. I had green onions that needed to be used up, but you can use yellow if that’s what you have.

Fry cut-up green onions (I use the stalks as well…They’re like chives) in real butter
Layer chicken breasts in crock-pot
Add onions, bouillon, dill, and water to cover

Let simmer on Low all day long, and you will have Mmmm…Mmmm goodness for dinner time!

Take out the chicken breasts with slotted spoon and serve with cottage cheese and fresh carrots. The stock can be saved in the freezer for soup.





AFTER-WORK ACHIEVEMENTS

Insurance claims processed
Dinner checked on
Cats—watered, litter cleaned
Bills
Emptied shredder and swept
RXs ordered
Washed dog’s bedding
Cleaned vanity, sink, and mirror in bedroom
Took a load up to the attic and one load down
Ordered health tea

Many small achievements make for one large feeling of accomplishment!

HAPPY DAY

Well, indeed, today was very organized and ran very well...It really felt as if I had just twinkled my nose, and it ran magically smooth…



Whew! One down...Seven to go...

By then, it should be a decently ingrained habit, as I really don’t enjoy feeling like Aunt Clara…

A dear soul…

But so very off the mark in most everything she does…



In reality, of course, the day went smoothly because I made myself be more organized before the day even started, and that made the difference…

So, onward I go…Into the world of greater organization…

I think that one of the greatest detriments to ourselves is…well…ourselves. If we want to better ourselves, we may do so for an hour or two, and then the little voice creeps in…”You aren’t really that good, you know. There are a whole lot of other people better than you…In fact, the whole world is better than you!” Before you know it, we have crawled back into our cave out of shame for even living.

If you want to get a lot accomplished, the same can and will happen if you aren’t quick to push it out. We may start the day out with a list of ten items to accomplish. By the end of the day, we may have only achieved five out of the ten. “Well, that wasn’t a very good day now, was it? You’re a loser!” says the little devil on our shoulder.

You all know what I’m talking about…We all fight the same fight…So never think that it’s only you. You are the only one who can see you, so that’s how it feels…BUT…

Have you ever thought of dogs? Dogs generally act the same…Chihuahuas may bark more than Basenjis…Golden Retrievers may wag more that Chows…But, in general, they all act the same…They all like to bury bones…They all love to see their master…They all chase cats…And speaking of cats…

What about cats? They generally all act alike…They all lie around all day…They all lick themselves clean…They all chase mice.

People are no different. Some may yell louder than others…Some may be friendlier than others, but we are all generally the same…If you have a problem, the chances are pretty good that someone else…Probably hundreds or thousands of someone-elses have the very same problem. So…lick your wounds for a minute and move on!

One thing that I find that really helps me after work is to make of list…Not of what I want to do, though I do that too sometimes at the beginning of the day…But a list of what I have gotten done. It’s amazing how that can make a person feel. If I don’t do this, all of sudden two hours will have gone by, and I know that I’ve gotten a few things done, but I can’t figure out where the time went and what it was that I actually did.

So…I make a list…

I unloaded the car (I always have a lot of stuff, so that’s an accomplishment to me)…

I took the recycling out…Fed the dog…Cleaned the litter…Brought some beans in to soak…Finished dinner…Took a load out of the dryer.

None of those are significant in an of themselves, but, wow…I actually got some things done!



And, isn’t relaxing so much nicer when you know you’ve accomplished something first?

ORGANIZED DAYS--TUESDAY

My very busy weeks...Especially Tuesdays, are starting again. In the past, Tuesdays have always been high chaos, and I have greatly dreaded them. On this particular day of the week, I have three classes in two different buildings, with a drive to get from one to the other, and prep in between. Inevitably, I end up waiting for the train to pass, which leads to more anxiety and stress.



Well, tomorrow is different…

No more chaotic running from here to there…

No more of my-day-running-me scenarios on Tuesdays…

It will now be ME running my day,...

Which will of course, will lead to much less stress…

Much more organization...



And a much happier me!



Clothing will be laid out…



Lunch will be packed…



And…Since I won’t be home until 8:30 or 9:00…



Dinner will be in the crockpot…



May you all have a happy and ORGANIZED Tuesday!

HAPPY SATURDAY

One of my goals this year is to Quit whining and just do. Well, a couple of days ago, I received an email from a co-worker, which was a blessing to me that day.

"May today there be peace within you. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."

As I have so desired a certain profession and due to different reasons have not been able to pursue it, I have, instead, gone down a different path. I did not go looking for this path; it came to me. Indeed, the Lord put it in front of me; he offered it to me. It was very strange how it all came about. Being human, though, I have still wanted—in conjunction with what I am currently doing—to pursue that occupational goal that I have. I just keep ruminating on it and not giving up. Well, I AM exactly where I need to be at this point in time. There ARE possibilities in what I am doing that are born of faith and prayer. The Lord has given me gifts, for which I am ever grateful, that I am passing on. I am getting paid to do this as well; what a benefit! So, thank you Michelle for this awesome quote sent to me today! It served me well.

SOME OF THE THINGS I LOVE…

GRAMMA...She is the most organized person I have ever met in my life--Another great example to me for my get-more-organized goal...She is fast, efficient, ever-hard-working, extremely clean (as well as her house, of course), and she LOVES to have company. If something gets messed up...like the time my daughter spilled grape juice on her cream-colored living room carpeting!), she says, “It’s o.k. we’ll clean it up”, and it’s over! Or, one of the times (there have been more than one) that someone broke her window by playing catch outside, it’s no big deal…”That’s o.k., we’ll fix it.” Every Easter…Every Christmas, everyone gathers at Gramma’s…This Christmas, there were 32 of us. “I LOVE it!”, Gramma said. Ahhh, yes, I am going to be like her when I grow up.



POTPOURRI...

Fresh potpourri is the very best! A friend gave to me a lovely package containing a large grapefruit, a tangerine, fresh cranberries, a cheese cloth bundle of cloves, and a cinnamon stick. Boil in one quart of water and enjoy the sweet cinnamony aroma!



BABIES…

Babies and puppies are the best things in the world! I just love them, ESPECIALLY if they’re mine (well, my grandbaby at least :0)…



WINTER TIME…

A time to snuggle…A time to play…



A time for a big pot of homemade soup…



A time to cozy up with a good book like “The Long Winter” by Laura Ingalls Wilder…



A time to close out the world, as soon as it gets dark, and just be…

So, let us for today be content with ourselves…And may today there be peace with you.

A JOLLY DECENT DAY

Today was fairly organized, though I didn’t get as much work done as I had wanted. That’s o.k., it wasn’t terribly bad, and tomorrow’s another day!



Next week classes start up again, and it is my goal is to be ahead of things. Tuesdays are my really hectic days going between places, and I tend to get discombobulated. So, I will have my lesson prepared sooner than I have previously and hopefully go in Monday to get things organized.



My nourishing-my-body goal was a success today. I ate well…getting back to a better norm feels good. Before the holidays, I had fallen a little off track, and then during the holidays, stress got the better of me. It’s not necessarily that the holidays made me do it. It was more that I was just stressed. Well, at any rate, today was nuts, organic bread and butter, bananas, frosted mini wheats (wholesome goodness with a little sweet!) and some homemade hamburger soup. I love homemade soup on a cold and wintry day!



This is not my soup but looks ironically similar. I didn’t have beans or cauliflower in mine. I had a horrid camera that was a ditzy thing to try to use. So, wonderful Hubby bought us a much better one. Well, it’s just high-tech enough to where we have to read the ¼ booklet that came with it (hate reading instructions) before we can figure out to use it…sigh. Just pushing the button and focusing doesn’t quite seem to work…yet. So, I bowed to the great world wide web and found this tasty little dish that I’m sure tasted a bit like mine, though I’m SURE that mine was better! ;)



Of course, I also drank my health tea throughout the day along with my vinegar and honey in the morning, and now some warm milk and turmeric. Last night’s turmeric tea was awful! I don’t know why it tasted so bad, but it did, and I can eat and drink some pretty odd tasting stuff in the name of health. I am wondering if it wasn’t the straight skim milk that did it. The night before, I used the skim that we always drink and added half cream. Turmeric is supposed to assimilate better with fat (don’t know if that is true or not). So, in a few minutes, we’ll be trying the milk-cream version and see how it is……….Fast forward 15 minutes…….I am now trying the original version of half skim milk and half cream with a teaspoon of turmeric….Delightful! It is really rather creamy and soothing for a nighttime drink, though they say that turmeric keeps one up at night, so I may be moving this little cup o’ goodness to say…an afternoon tea?

Heat up your milk and cream...



Add about a teaspoon of your turmeric...Stir and enjoy



Exercise tonight consisted of what it usually does…walking the dog. It’s a great opportunity for me to get my exercise in while getting some of his energy out! I clip along at a pretty good pace while walking and take any inclines or hills that may be around, so it’s a pretty good little bit of exercise. Tonight, we went up to the temple to walk. Oh, how peaceful it was up there. The air was cold…-10…The sky was beautiful…The air was serene.



Now, if I can just get rid of this night owl in me…Hmmmm…He’s been with me for oh so many years. Would that the world would revolve around my circadian rhythm. But, alas, it does not. So until later, 'au revoir!

IT'S A NEW YEAR!

A BLESS-ED HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU!

I love the new year, and I cry at the old going out. The new year is fresh and welcoming and offers a time for change. Though I don’t subscribe to the only-make-new-goals-at-the-new-year doctrine, (one should make them as needed throughout the year), I encourage them and by nature, I like…No, I LOVE to achieve. So here we go!

MAIN GOALS FOR THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2010...

BE MORE ORGANIZED

At work, I am extremely organized and quite efficient—even very efficient, if I do say so myself. At home, well…the efficient part is there to a decent degree, but the organized thing…Wow, THAT has a LOT of work to be done! I’m tired of it, and it takes so much more time being unorganized. Why can I do it at work and not at home? Don’t have a clue. But, I’ve been flailing around for this past year trying quite hard to change my ways…ahem, no change yet. “If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.” So, I’m trying again.

Two examples who inspire me are 50sgal at http://my50syear.blogspot.com and Jitterbug at http://destination1940.blogspot.com.



CONTINUE TO IMPROVE MY HEALTH WITH...

BODILY NOURISHMENT

I’ve always been a health nut. At the same time, I’ve always been a self-destroyer with such things as fast food, diet sodas, and the like. My body deserves to be treated well, and so I am trying harder.

I have also always liked natural remedies. Over the past five years or so, as stress has mounted and life has worn on me, I haven’t searched them out and immersed myself in them as I have wanted to and should have. So, most recently, I have begun my search. For almost a week now, I have been drinking apple cider vinegar and have been oil pulling with sesame oil. Yesterday, I added turmeric in warm milk---quite tasty. I also drink my cleansing health tea throughout the day and have been doing that now for three years. I love it! Thankfully, my two daughters are very health conscious as well, so we are able to encourage each other and also share recipes.

A wonderful site that I found is Earth Clinic. Check it out! www.earthclinic.com



SOUL NOURISHMENT

This really starts out with body and then merges with soul. Because stress has been so high for so long (I trace it back to when I returned to the work force full time 11-1/2 years ago) things have compounded. Injuries/trouble spots no longer heal over the weekend or at all, like they once did. With my mind tense, my body has become tense. Again, over years, these manifestations have taken their toll. Muscle tightening changes posture, which gives way to new maladies. Stress causes clenching of teeth, which wears on once good teeth. Physical work has caused carpel tunnel, ligamental laxity, tendonitis, bursitis, and overall pain.

I have always wanted to go to a naturopath, but insurance has never paid, or so I thought. Coincidently (?), I was perusing our insurance policy, and noticed that they happen to cover chiropractic. I have never had a good feeling for the practice, but, I was in need. I told my husband that this extreme stress was not good for my health and that I needed to do something NOW. I wasn’t going to wait any longer. So, I have started with my chiropractor…Love it. I have started with a therapeutic massage therapist. I have my first appointment with the naturopath in February. She will take care of my soul (not my spirituality), and she, the chiropractor, and the massage therapist will take care of my body. I am excited. I see new hope.

I was blessed with a strong constitution. Life, however, was sucking it out of me. I had to make this a priority. Do you see what I mean? Nothing will or can get in the way—money, time, excuses—if you REALLY want it. I cannot accept…No…DO NOT accept or allow the stress to rule my life any longer so, onward I go!



QUIT WHINING AND JUST DO!

Yes, I do a great deal of internal…and some external…whining. I can no longer stay home and lovingly tend to my nest. I whine because it’s not fair. Why do I, who has the innate desire to mother and nurture both my family and my home, have to leave flock and nest and go out into the ugly soiled jungle to do somebody else’s dirty work? Makes no sense to me. Why can’t it be like it was before where hubby worked, mommy stayed home with babies, and life was good…Well, as good as it could get anyway. Now, my children are grown (wow, does it feel strange to say that—I’m really not that old!), but I still desire to be a homemaker. I’m old fashioned…Very Laura-Ingall-ish…Or, in a more recent decade…Very Bewitched-ish…And even more recent…Very Brady-Bunch-ish.

Do I think it’s doable? Yes. But, Hubby would have to agree, I would have to pay off MAJOR and I mean MAJOR debt that I incurred—having mostly nothing to do with him other than supporting our daughter in college. And, he would have to want to scrimp enough like we used to so that I could stay home. I know it’s doable. We used to do it, but…Well, for now, it is what it is, and I am signing in ink…Not in blood (I’m only human after all) to make the best of what I have. Here I go!