Works for me Wednesday

It's time for Works for me Wednesday again. Today Shannon is doing something a little different with this. Instead of a household hint, she is asking for parenting advice. I think the household hints are a lot easier! I have been thinking about what to write about and I can't come up with any one specific tip. Of course, the most important advice is to raise your kids to know the Lord, as that impacts them into eternity! I think the other thing I would say is to be consistent. When you discipline them, don't threaten them but then when they whine, let them get away with it. Follow through and be consistent. Be consistent about how you expect them to behave. If you let something go one time, but yell at them the next time they don't know how to act. Of course this is easier said than done, and I am feeling like one of those old ladies who forgets what is was like to have young kids! Really, I haven't - my kids are young enough that some of our battles are quite fresh in my mind. (and I didn't follow my own advice every time either!) Of course, make sure you have some fun and laughter along with the discipline! I'll be anxious to see what some other bloggers have to say about this. If you would like to see more parenting tips visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer.

Meals make Memories

Today I am taking part in a carnival, hosted by Megan at Fried Okra. She has challenged us to write down our memories about a food story, a memorable meal... I have been thinking about what I could write about since she posted that this was coming up. I started thinking about the meals I had as a child and it made me remember sitting around a table that had aluminum legs and a fake marble top. (I was born in 1960 and I'm sure it was "in" at the time!) I remember the many chips that were in one end of the table top because my sister Terri decided it would be fun to take a table knife and pound it on the table. I remember the whole family always sat around the table and talked. We always opened with prayer and when the meal was done my Dad would read from the Bible (us kids thought he read too long) and then closed with prayer. My Dad was a farmer and our meals were usually meat and potatoes meals, with vegetables and fruits my Mom had canned or frozen. I did think of one meal that was a favorite at our house, that was not the standard meat and potatoes. It was a casserole and Mom served it with applesauce and bread on the side. Here is the recipe for it:
Casserole Delicious
1 onion chopped
1 # hamburg
4 stalks celery
1/2 cup white rice
1 1/2 cup water
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Brown hamburg and onion, season to taste. Simmer with rice, celery, and water 10-15 minutes; add soups. Place all ingredients in casserole. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
This must have been a popular recipe in our area during the 60's and 70's because when Bob and I got married, his Mom gave me the same recipe and said it was one of his favorites. It is something I still make at times; however 2 of my kids don't like it because of the celery, so they were never happy to see it on the table when they were home. As a matter of fact, the recipe card I just copied this from has been altered by one of them, to read "Happy Casserole". Believe me - she (Laura) was being sarcastic when she wrote happy!
I do have one other memorable meal to tell you about. When Bob and I were first dating I decided to make a nice lunch for him. I had a day off, and his work was near my home, so I told him to come over for his lunch break. I was a pretty good cook, but for some reason I decided to grill for him. Now - I had never grilled anything before. You can see where this is going right? Yes - the meat was burned. He was a good sport and laughed about it. I don't remember what else I served him. It must have been okay, because he kept dating me and we have now been married for almost 26 years. This did work out alright in the end. I have been teased about this for years, but when it is time to grill anything - he does it!
Thanks Megan for hosting this. It's been fun to bring back those memories. To read some other memories go to FriedOkra.

Sunday Devotional

I know several people who have been going through difficult times. Some have health problems, some are dealing with family members health issues, others have other types of family problems. When we are in the middle of these situations, it can be hard to feel Gods' presence. Today, I heard a message about this in church, then came home to find another thing about this in a devotional and then read another article in a magazine. After all that, I thought perhaps I was meant to share it! The scripture that was used this morning was from Isaiah 43:1-3. "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy one of Israel, your Savior". Isn't that an awesome verse? God isn't saying that nothing will happen to us, as Christians. He is telling us that no matter what happens to us in this world, He will be with us, and nothing can permanently harm us, because although we may be harmed physically or even die, we will be with him in Heaven. The devotional I read reminded me that God has a plan for each of our lives, and everything that happens to us, can help to see that plan out. When I have been worried or stressed about things, it has always helped me to remember that God is in control! That's a good thing because he is so much smarter than I am. God certainly knows what is best for me, although at times I have wished that he would just explain out loud what he was thinking! Now, I am certainly not saying that I always remember this and leave my worries with God. Just ask my family - I have my stress filled, worrying times. At times like that, we need our Christian friends to stand by us and pray with, and for us. I have one other great verse to leave you with, from John 14:27.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid".

And the winner is...

I used the random number selector to find the winner of the bloggy giveaway and came up with Renee from Life at Aspen Trail Hill. I have enjoyed reading her profile and her blog and was surprised by how many thing we have in common. I hope she enjoys her Santa.

I didn't win anything in this bloggy giveaway, but my daughter Laura did and she is very happy. I had a lot of fun doing this and was amazed at the generosity of so many bloggers. There are a lot of good people out there! If you didn't win, sorry. (Those of you that know us may be able to work something out with Bob!) Soon I will be posting pictures of his latest creation. Hope you all have a great weekend. Spend some time with your family and friends and don't forget to spend some time with God!

Friday Funnies

Here are a few jokes to give you a laugh (or maybe a moan)for your Friday

One ship carrying blue pain collided with another ship carrying red paint. The crew is missing and believed to be marooned.

A man drowned in a tub of milk with a banana in his ear. Authorities suspect a cereal killer.

A toilet was stolen from the precinct. Police have nothing to go on.

Remember - today is the last day to sign up for the giveaway. I will pick a winner when I get out of work and will post it here, so check back to see who wins!

Slow Cooking Thursday

Today, for Slow Cooking Thursday I am sharing one of my favorite recipes with you. I got this recipe from a someone I work with after she brought it to a potluck. It got rave reviews and we've enjoyed it ever since! Hope you like it too.

White Chicken Chili
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped celery
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1 (48 oz) jar Great Northern Beans
8 oz shredded Monterrey jack or Cheddar cheese
2 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 (16 oz) jar salsa
3 c chicken broth


Melt butter in skillet and saute celery, onion and green pepper until translucent. In crock pot, combine broth, cumin, salsa, white beans, chicken and cheese. Stir together and add celery mixture. Cook on low 4-6 hours. Serve with tortilla chips and additional shredded cheese.

*I use canned broth and frozen, cubed chicken to throw this together in a hurry.
**This can also be made quickly without a crockpot. Follow same directions, but add 1 extra cup of broth or water and simmer on low for 45 min to an hour, instead of cooking in crockpot.

If you want more great crockpot recipes, visit Sandra at Diary of a stay at home Mom.

Works for me Wednesday

Today is works for me Wednesday and I am going to share something I have been doing for years. (Boy, I sound old when I say that!) I buy my groceries every 2 weeks because my husband is paid every other week. Before I go out, I plan 2 weeks worth of meals and write it down in one of those monthly planners that have a square for every day. I then make my grocery list accordingly. If something should come up, and we don't have a particular meal during that period, I insert it into the next 2 week schedule when I work on it. If I am having trouble thinking of something to make, I can look back a few months for ideas. I keep these planners near my recipe box in the kitchen and have a few years worth to look back at. I've also looked back at them to see when we have done something as a family, because if we are going to be going somewhere and aren't having supper at home, I write that down instead of a meal plan. I find this very helpful when I have worked, so I don't have to come home and figure out what's for supper!

If you want more idea's visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer, and don't forget to sign up for the free giveaway below!

I won a CD!

I won a CD last week from a link on BooMama's site. (Thanks Boomama!)It is Monk and Neagle , and the name of the album is The Twenty First Time. It will be released to the public on September 18 and I highly recommend it. It came yesterday and I love, love, love this CD. I have listened to it quite a few times since receiving it, and can tell you that I am having a hard time picking just one favorite from the list of songs. The music is great, the words are touching and meaningful. To listen yourself, click on the link in this post or go to my sidebar where there is a link to their site. Then - let me know what you think!

Also - don't forget the giveaway. It will be running through Friday!

Bloggy Giveaway starts today!

Today the Dog Days of Summer Bloggy giveaway begins. Shannon, over at Rocks in my Dryer is hosting this. If you go to her site, you will find a listing of blogs that have something to give away this week. You heard me right - for free! All you have to do is make a comment on the blogs that have something you are interested in and you will be signed up for the drawing on that site. When you make your comment, be sure that the blog owner can contact you through your blog or e-mail in case you win. Names will be collected from Monday to Friday, with the drawings taking place on Friday, at the blog owners convenience. So - head over to Shannon's, and sign up. Who knows - you just may win something!
Here is the item for my giveaway. This is a Santa ornament, which was hand carved by my husband for you! I'm afraid the picture doesn't do it justice, but in my own humble opinion, I think he is pretty cute! My husband carves figurines, and has carved quite a few old fashioned Santa figurines and ornaments. This ornament is about 2" long. So - sign in the comments section and I will draw a winner on Friday. I will be using this random number generator to make sure the drawing is fair! Good Luck!

Coming soon to a blog near you!

There are exciting things going on in blogland! I have a few of them to tell you about. Shannon, over at Rocks in my Dryer is hosting a carnival giveaway. There will hopefully be quite a few blogs participating in this. They each will have something they will be giving away that week. This will start on Monday and a winner will be chosen from each blog on Friday! All you have to do is go to these blogs and make a comment to be eligible to win. Make sure there is a way for the blogger to contact you in your comment, whether it be by your blog or e-mail.

I have something planned for this giveaway, that I hope you will all like, but you will have to come back on Monday to find out what it is.

On another note, Megan, over at FriedOkra is doing something to help out Teagan, an adorable little 22 month old girl who has recently undergone surgery for a brain tumor, and has had some complications. Megan is going to make 3 custom baby blankets and auction them on her site on Monday. The top 3 bidders will win the blankets and the proceeds will go to Teagans family to help pay for her expenses. So - if you know someone who could use a baby blanket check out Megans blog on Monday. If you don't know anyone who needs a blanket, but you want to help, you can find that information here.

Stay tuned for more information!

My Childhood Home

Mary, over at Owlhaven has a great idea for today. She wants us to write about our childhood home. I think that's a fun thing to think back about! I have to go back a few years to remember this but I think I can do it!

I grew up on a farm. When I was a kid, I didn't know how lucky I was to live where I did. I had fields around me, a creek to catch frogs in, a meteorite out in a back field (it was just a very large stone, but us kids thought it was a meteorite), hills to go sledding on and a barn to play in. One of my favorite memories is going to a hill that was out by the creek. This hill had a dry rocky side where we would go and find fossils. They really were fossils - very small ones from plants but they sure made great things to bring in for show and tell. (I still have a small bottle of them that I collected when this property was developed.) We spent a lot of time outdoors and our Mom didn't have to worry about us getting into too much trouble, other than getting stuck in mud or falling out of a tree. Our house was an old farmhouse. I hated the basement, because there was often some water on the floor and it was a dirty old basement. There was a tornado shelter that was dark, damp and I thought disgusting, and I hated to go into it when there was a warning. I shared a bedroom upstairs with my 2 sisters until I was in 8th grade and we built a new house. It wasn't a problem to share because most everyone I knew shared a room and we had a lot of fun talking and goofing around when we were supposed to be sleeping. Under the double bed I shared with my sister Terri, was a register grate. Our furnace was a gravity furnace and there were no ducts to the upstairs, so this grate was open. We would crawl under the bed and watch what was going on in the kitchen below. This was especially handy when we had a babysitter. We would watch what she ate and listen to her talking on the phone. (What naughty kids) When we heard Mom and Dad come home, we would crawl into bed and pretend to be sleeping!

When I think back to being a kid and my memories of my home, I am struck by the fact that it didn't matter that the house was old and not very big. The memories I have are colored by the fact that I knew I was loved as a child. I knew that no matter what had happened during the day, when I came home I was with my family who would always be there for me. I am reminded again of how blessed I am, not necessarily with material things, but with a God who saved me, a family who loves me and friends who care about me!

Now it's your turn - if you have a blog, write something about your childhood home and post about your blog with Mary. If you don't have a blog, you are welcome to leave a comment about it with me. Have fun remembering.

Andy Update

I just received a call from Andy and was told that he is in Atlanta! He was supposed to go directly from Lansing to South Carolina. His flight was delayed in Lansing, then was diverted because of weather to Birmingham. Around 4:00 he flew to Atlanta and if all goes well he will be in South Carolina around 9:00. I forgot to mention earlier that there were 3 guys heading to South Carolina with him today and one of them will be going to the same base Andy is after Basic Training. Andy said he seemed like a nice guy. Thanks again for your prayers!

He's in the Army now!

It's been an interesting day. We spent the night in Lansing, in a big name hotel that left something to be desired. It wasn't awful, but I have sure stayed in better places! Andy called us at 8:20 am and said his ceremony would be starting at 9:00 am so to be there on time. We were there with plenty of time left, and then the waiting began. He said he was woken at 4:30, and was at the processing center by 6 am and he had been doing lots of "hurry up and wait". We finally got called in for the swearing in ceremony around 9:45. The actual swearing in took less than 10 minutes. We couldn't take pictures at that time, but afterward they said we could. The problem was that Andy's group was supposed to leave by 10:15 and they were in a hurry. I snapped one picture, but it didn't turn out, so therefore, there are no pictures to post today. I know you are wondering "how did the crying girls do in our family?" Bob instructed us earlier to try and keep it together. (Do you really think we would let tears run down our faces, get runny noses and headaches if we could stop it?) We knew we had people praying for us, and we had prayed for dry eyes. I was doing pretty well until I heard the lady next to me start sniffling and then looked up to see a mom across the room totally sobbing. Well - you know how contagious this is. So, yes - I joined in. Misery loves company you know! However, I did pretty well for me. It was only a one kleenex cry! Laura and Heather were also good - just a few tears. We hugged Andy, told him we loved him and were proud of him and sent him on his way. Now we just have to wait for a call and I don't know when that will be, but we'll be happy to hear from him whenever.

He's on his way

The day that I've been dreading has come. It can be hard to cut those apron strings! For those of you that may not know our family, I will explain. Our son has joined the Army. He has been fascinated with planes from the time he was a very young child and always talked about doing something like this. He will be working on the Apache Helicopter and he is very excited about this. He feels this is where he is meant to be and we are very proud of him and this decision he has made to serve our country. However - we are really going to miss him. This morning he was picked up and will be taken to Lansing for his induction tomorrow. We will be driving there tonight and will witness his formal swearing in. He will then be going to South Carolina for 9 weeks of basic training, after which he will be in Virginia. I'll post pictures of tomorrows ceremony when we return. Thanks to all of you that are praying for him and us!

Works for Me Wednesday

I am one of those people who uses a curling iron every morning. My hair isn't easy to curl, so I spray it with hairspray and then curl it. This works well for the hair, but doesn't have such great results on the curling iron! I was getting a buildup of gunk on it, that I couldn't get off. I tried several ways to remove it, but ended up throwing a few curling irons away because they looked disgusting and don't curl very well with an extra coating. I decided to try to keep it from building up. I now take a wet cloth and I wipe down the barrel of the iron right after I unplug it, so it is still hot. Make sure the cloth is several layers thick so you don't burn yourself. It only takes one swipe and a few seconds every morning and my curling iron stays looking like new!
If you want to find more great hints, go visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer

AAAGH!

Again my picture keeps disappearing from a post. This is the hummingbird moth from the post below. Hope you can see it now.

Hummingbird Moth

Yesterday I posted a picture of Diane and Andy, where I said they were trying to take a picture of a bee, that was flying around our lavender. This is the picture I took of the "bee". It was difficult to get a picture because it was flitting around constantly and its wings were constantly beating. When we were looking at it we noticed the way it flew and Diane said something about it being some type of hummingbird. We didn't exactly agree with her, but today I got an e-mail saying "ha" and this information: "Snowberry Clearwing Hummingbird Moth: Size 1.25" - 2.0" The snowberry clearwing hummingbird moth is a small hummingbird moth which more closely resembles a large bumblebee than a hummingbird. Like other hummingbird moths, this one flies during the daylight. It most often visits the coral honeysuckle and the butterfly bush." I am amazed by all the different varieties of life God created, from the largest whale to the smallest insect, with all the minute intricacies that make them unique. This is amazing, but on top of that, the same God that made this moth created us, knows us by name and loves us!

Saturday Night

Saturday night, Bob's sisters, Karla and Diane came over to see the new sprinkling system he has set up to water the flower beds in the back yard. This also gave them the chance to see Andy before he leaves. His nephew, Curt and wife Brenda stopped by later in the evening. In the pictures you see Bob, Karla and Diane talking about flowers, Diane and Andy trying to take a picture of a bee, Andy Brenda and Curt laughing, and Curt tormenting poor Cleo. (He actually tried to be nice to her, but those of you that know her, realize she is a "snooty" cat!) There were many ideas for new flower beds for Bob and irrigation ideas for Karla and Diane. There were also plenty of laughs. We were going over what Andy would be doing in basic training, and Karla's ideas didn't always mesh with reality! She is a good sport and laughed with the rest of us. It was also nice to see Curt and Brenda. Brenda is very sweet. You may notice I did not say that about Curt. I'm sorry to say that Curt is not sweet. (He probably wouldn't want to be) He has teased and harrassed me his whole life, so I don't expect him to change now. We have warned Brenda that she is going to be in trouble when any future children arrive! (He is a great guy, in spite of his teasing!) We had a fun night and Andy enjoyed seeing them all again and will be happy to see them in December.

Flowers of the Field

"I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?...See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these" Matthew 6:25,28-29.
I was wandering around the flower beds last night, trying to photograph some of the different flowers and I was really struck by the beauty of the flowers. They are each different; different colors, different forms, different sizes, different styles, but each one beautiful in its own way. I thought about what an amazing God we have. He has created an awesome world for us, with beauty to be found both in large scale and the very small. God tells us that he dresses the flowers of the field and he will also care for us. He loves us regardless of our color, form, size or style. We are also meant to be beautiful and the best way to do that is to show God's love to the world around us. Someone I used to work with was known by some of the staff as "Jesus with skin on". What a wonderful description of what we are called to be!

Slow Cooking Thursday

Today is Slow Cooking Thursday! The recipe I am posting in one I make frequently. It is great for potlucks - I rarely have anything left when I bring this. It is also one of my easiest recipes. To see more great crock pot recipes visit Sandra at Diary of a SAHM

Cheesy Hash Brown Potatoes

2# bag Southern Style Hash Brown potatoes, thawed

1 can cream of chicken soup

16 oz sour cream

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

8 oz grated cheddar cheese

chopped ham to taste (optional)

Stir together the soup, sour cream, onion, salt and pepper. Then stir in the potatoes and ham. Cook on low 6-7 hours.

*I use low fat soup and sour cream and haven't noticed any difference in taste

* Make sure you use the southern style hash browns. I bought shredded by mistake once, and the end result was a soupy mess!

Works for me Wednesday

My tip for this week is for a quick cleanup of the inside of your microwave. I take a microwavable bowl and fill it half way with water. I sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of cinnamon (or another good smelling spice) in the water and stir it. I then microwave it till the water is boiling and let it boil for about 2 minutes. When I take it out the inside of the microwave is steamed up and is easily wiped down. The other benefit is that your kitchen smells like you have been baking!

For more ideas visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer

Hidden Picture

I am a big fan of those 3D pictures. I love to look at what looks like a jumbled mess and find the hidden picture inside. I found a site on the internet that lets you make your own 3D picture. Keep in mind that I am not an artist and when you have to use a mouse to draw with it gets worse! However, I did try and here is my result. See if you can figure out what this is.



If you want to make your own, go to this site.

Pictures

For some reason these pictures keep disappearing from the post below, so I am trying it this way.

Mugwumps!

What, you may ask is a mugwump? My friend, Nancy and I both have groups from our churches that we meet with for Bible study and fellowship. We talk about this frequently at work, especially when we are planning for our turn to host one of these gatherings. Our old work partner, Lavonne, started calling these groups, "Mugwumps". Why? I don't know, but somehow the name stuck. My group gets together every other Sunday night most of the year. In the summer, we are not quite as regular, but we got together at our house tonight and talked about what is going on in our lives. We always have good discussion and spend some time praying for each other and anything else that comes up.

As you can see, we also spend time eating. You can see most of our group in these pictures. One of the men is a Fire Captain, and was working tonight, so we missed his usual good humor. We are blessed to be part of this group that studies, prays, laughs (and eats) together!

Something New

I wanted to share a find with you. I have been looking for some time for a plate rack that holds a few plates in black. I have seen ones that friends one, but can never find one to buy. A few weeks ago, a co-worker came in to work and wanted to show us something she had purchased as a gift for a friend. It was a black plate rack and could be purchased right in my town. I like it even better than the ones I have seen before because it doesn't just stand straight. It can fold together when not in use. Better yet the racks hold large plates, salad size plates or bowls so it can be used for many things. There were plates available at this store also but they each cost $10 and weren't in a pattern that fit what I wanted. I thought I would just look around for something more reasonable. I found plates that were just the look I wanted at Walmart. There was an entire set there for only $24. I am really happy with how this turned out and plan to try it out Sunday night when we have friends over.

Our July Fourth celebration

This year we had my side of the family over to celebrate the holiday. It was also a chance for many of them to see Andy again before he leaves. This year there were several of us taking lots of pictures. Most people cooperated, although there were a few that were being difficult! We also celebrated a few birthdays. The top picture is Shaelyn and Halle playing in the bushes. Next is Bob with Arianna, who is helping him with his birthday cards. The stilts came out and were tried out by Laura, Nick and Andy. The bottom photo is a picture of all the cousins. We had to take quite a few to get one where everyone is cooperating, but I'm happy with this one. It was nice to spend a day relaxing and enjoying family. I have to thank my friend Nancy for agreeing to trade holidays with my so I could enjoy this last one with Andy here!

Happy Fourth of July!

Wednesday is Independance Day, a day for those of us in the USA to celebrate our freedom. This year I have been thinking more than I have in the past about those who have given so much to allow for our freedom. It is one of those things that I have known, but not neccesarily taken to heart until it affected my own family. So, I will be thankful today for those who have given of their time with family and especially to those who have given their life for the good of the country. I am also thankful that God allowed me to be born in a place that allowed me to grow up knowing him and allows us to worship him publicly. This also brings to mind the ultimate freedom that we have as christians . Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and it doesn't matter what country we live in. "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" John 8:36. All we have to do is accept him and we will be free forever! That is the best Independance Day!

Everyday Wonderful

Recently I saw a blog where the writer had a feature called "Everyday Wonderful". In it she features something that is part of her everyday life that is easily taken for granted. I thought this was a great idea. We are so blessed, but we often take things for granted. I have often been guilty of taking people or things for granted. Today I thought it would be a good time to focus on Andy. I love his goofiness. He has a great sense of humor and we never know what he is going to say next. He keeps us all laughing. Often when I come home from work, he will greet me at the back door and almost run me over, then give me a bear hug. He is a good worker and will help around the house without complaining(And often without being asked). He does have his drawbacks though - his room is usually a mess! Anyway, I may be prejudiced, but I think he is a great kid and I will certainly miss him when he leaves. What about you? I know you all have some overlooked, wonderful things in your life. What is your "Everyday Wonderful"?