|
Archive of previous "Heart of the Home" BLOG articles. We hope you continue to enjoy reading them and invite your responses on our Home BLOG page. |
||
 |
||
| March 18, 2007 Yesterday my husband and I received a “St. Patrick’s Day” card from the most unexpected person. There was no return address, so as I was walking back to the house from the mailbox, I found myself wondering, and trying to guess whose penmanship this was. I was so touched to read the note from the daughter of two of our dearest friends in California. She is one of three kids, actually young adults, of these friends. My husband and I think of these “kids” as our “adopted” nieces and nephew. They are precious to us. This dear family included us in so much of their lives, and the kids were always welcoming and loving, never put out by the “intruders” coming into their family time. As I sit here in my kitchen writing these thoughts down, many memories are returning to me of the times we’ve spent together. Such wonderful and fun times filled with laughter and joy. So, it was especially touching to receive this note letting us know that we were missed, especially with the emotions that we’ve been feeling of late. Isn’t God good to touch someone’s heart with the desire to send us a note, or to pick up the phone and make a call when we most need it? Thoughtfulness directed to others is so important in letting them know how much we value them. If there has been someone on your mind lately, why not sit down for a few minutes and write him or her a note, or maybe give a quick call? It might be just what they need… |
||
|
||
| March 12, 2007 My husband and I have been blessed with three granddaughters. We have a set of twins here in the U.S., and we have one on the other side of the world, in Australia. The circumstances surrounding the twins are awful, and we don’t know where they are, so we can’t have contact with them. But this is not true of our relationship with our granddaughter in Australia. Her mommy is a blessing to us and has maintained an e-mail relationship with us over the years. She has been faithful to send us pictures and keep us up to date on Sarah’s life. Sarah is now nine years of age and in this past year she has e-mailed and gotten acquainted with us. Then something remarkable happened; we received a phone call one Friday evening, from what I thought was a child who had misdialed. I almost hung up because I could not understand her. She was very persistent in convincing me of who she was, and a new blessing was added to our lives. Sarah is a priceless addition to our lives. Over the years we have sent her cards and gifts in order to assure her of our love even though we have not yet met. Now because of phone cards, calls to Australia are much more affordable, and we can speak with her and attach a voice to the name. Of course the desire of our hearts is to attach a face to the name and meet her. Sarah is a wonderful little girl. Thankfully her mommy fell in love with a man who loves her and she has a wonderful family, including a little sister. She is a happy, secure child that we long to meet. Hopefully the time is not many more years away when my husband and I will be able to go to Australia to be introduced to her face to face. What a joy for us that will be. |
||
|
||
| March 3, 2007 This week my eyes have been opened to something I’ve been unwilling to see. I’ve realized that my heart has continued to “live” too much in Modesto, California and that I’m only hurting myself by not recognizing this fact. We always want to think that people will miss us as much as we miss them, but the simple fact of the matter is, that as time goes on, the old adage of “out-of-sight-out-of-mind” takes over. Life is so busy for everyone, and the rhythm and routine goes on with or without us, it’s just that now I’m on the outside of that former life looking in. I’m able to “look in” via e-mail and notes, and, sometimes the lack there of. I read the church e-mail about those things going on in that community that I use to be involved with, and about the people I was involved with, and someone else is now in my place. Our circumstances and involvement in that church were much different than it is here in our new location. Our son is getting married in April, on my birthday as a matter of fact. By way of an e-mail from my mom, I found out that the bridal shower for my daughter-in-law-to-be is today. Talk about shock…it reality hit. The mother of the groom, me, not only won’t be there, she had no idea it was even happening. I was thunderstruck. No cute little floral invitation adorning the fridge door as a reminder to go shopping because there’s a wonderful party coming. Of coarse, we are flying back to California for ten days in April to be a part of our son’s wedding. Nothing could keep us away! But the simple fact of the matter is, distance makes a tremendous difference in feeling a part of this most important event in his life. As a mom my heart is aching. A large part of my nature is to be extremely loyal. I have never changed friends or circumstances with the people in my life easily. I liken it to being beaten up with a 2’ x 4’ and getting really wounded before I make any changes. I’m feeling the bruises; it’s time to make some changes in my attitude and take the next step. One of the next steps for me is to become a member of the church we’ve attended for a year. I can no longer live with part of my heart calling California home and part calling Idaho home. The sense of not really belonging anywhere, with anyone, and feeling very lonely, has to stop. I must become a part of the community where I live day to day and call this my only home. From now on I will simply be going to California for a short visit, and then return home, to Idaho. |
||
|
||
| February 22, 2007 Yesterday I sat down at the computer and paid our bills online. I began doing this in January out of necessity, not because I was looking for some new challenge in my life. The thing that I found myself remembering this morning was that as recently as 1995 I told my husband I would never use a computer. “They” scared me. I did not even know how to turn one on until 1997 or 1998. I should have noted the date! My husband was the one who did “all things computer”; I wasn’t going near one. Slowly things began changing in my life, with people that mattered to me, and I could see that e-mail would enable me to “talk” with these people no matter how far away they were. My mind-set was beginning to change. Then the next step was dealing with anything financial online. My husband, being a network engineer, lived in the world of computers and felt no fear. I imagined the worse. He was slowly teaching me this “new world” of computers in spite of my tears of anger and frustration. We were persistent. I was going to get familiar with this monster sitting on our desk, and I was going to control and defeat the fears. What an incredible growth process this has been. I’m now navigating in cyberspace pretty well, and for the most part, feeling fairly confident. There’s so much to learn just in working with my husband on our website, and we both marvel at how fast things continue to change with technology, but now it involves us in a much more personal way; our business, family, and friends. I now communicate with a niece and sister-in-law in Ohio, a dear friend in Georgia, a young Chinese woman in China whom I pray for, family and friends in California, a granddaughter and her mom in Australia, a young woman whom I mentored when she was in high school, and is now married and living in Pennsylvania, and finely, our niece and nephew who are military, soon to be stationed in the Azores. What a wonderful tool the computer is for staying “close” to people I care about and for maintaining these precious relationships. I’m so thankful my husband wouldn’t allow me to stay in the past, and that I finally learned how to turn one on. My life has been greatly enhanced with the use of this machine, especially at this time in my life. |
||
|
||
| January 26, 2007 I love to walk and I feel so much better when I follow through with my daily plan of getting outside to enjoy the fresh air. My husband and I have worked it out to walk together as soon as he gets home from work in the evening. This is a great time of “de-stressing” and talking together after a long day apart. We are usually very hungry, and it’s been extremely cold outside this month, but we bundle up and go anyway. There is always much to share. I’m at home dealing with all the issues of our personal lives, such as friends, family, the running of our home, and finances. He is gone all day to a job he’s thankful for, but hates. Our time together is a time to be quiet and relax, or a time to share our hearts. Lately it’s been a time of talking as we are going through some very painful circumstances in our lives. I’m very thankful for this time to talk together as we exercise. I know our Lord is in control, and that “this, too, shall pass”, but it sure is helpful to go outside and take a deep breath of cold air to push us on. It’s so invigorating and propels us into our evening with whatever remains to be done. |
||
|
||
| January 7, 2007 Our new home has been initiated in the realm of hospitality. We invited friends, a family of five, to join us for our Thanksgiving feast, our son and his fiancé’ came for a visit the following week, and our “home group” bible study gathered for a potluck. This happened in one week. My husband and I have now come full circle from the time we sold our home in the summer of 2005, and it feels wonderful. It was good to have the kitchen a mess, a child running around the “island” and lots of chatter and laughter. All of the many hours invested into the planning and building of this home has paid off; it is a very comfortable place for people to gather. Now my husband and I, especially my husband, are working feverishly to get our new catalog up and running. We have started from scratch with all new drop-shippers and products, and we are excited about the changes. This has certainly been an intense year with many changes, adjustments and challenges, and as Christmas has just passed we are excited about the new beginnings in our lives. It was with a real sense of peace that I looked forward to and enjoyed Christmas this year, rather than with the heartache of loss. |
||
|
||
| November 12, 2006 Through the month of October and into early November, I unpacked a multitude of boxes. What started out to be long, hard hours of work, ended up being a treasure hunt for things not seen in a year-and-a-half or more. As I unpacked box after box I found things that I had forgotten we owned; things that brought back wonderful memories of time spent with family and friends. My husband and I opened our former home for hospitality on a regular basis. We often had friends over for a meal, family gatherings of some sort, or folks from church for ministry. As I opened boxes of dishes I was reminded of the many loved ones around our table or in the kitchen with me. I was reminded of events that will never be repeated with people that we may not ever see again. I was also reminded of my mom and the two dear friends that spent hours helping me to pack all these things away for storage. I will forever be grateful for the seven years we had in that home, and for how the Lord used it in so many lives. Now things are unpacked, put away in their places, and the boxes are being taken away for recycling as my husband and I are preparing for our first Thanksgiving in our new home. We have invited a family to join us that find themselves in the same situation that we are in; family is far away. And so, after more than a year of being in “transition”, we are ready to move on in our new community. Usually, changes are extremely difficult for me, just as this move was. There will always be those few in my former hometown and church that will remain precious friends with close ties. We communicate, in some form or fashion, regularly. But I am now at peace in my new home, church and community, and I’m making new friends with which I plan on making many new memories. In this season of “Thanksgiving” I am very thankful for so many blessings, especially the blessing of God’s love and faithfulness to me during this very difficult year of change and personal growth. This is a treasure I continue to “unpack” and “discover”. -and this is where we'll be enjoying our Thansgiving meal togther! |
|
 |
|
|
|
| November 1, 2006 It has been far too long since I have written down any of my thoughts, except my personal journal notes. Since I last wrote for our blog, my dear father-in-law died in Ohio, and we had to make an unexpected trip for his funeral in Sept. We purchased our tickets months ago for a Thanksgiving visit. This would have been my husband’s first major holiday with his father. Our sorrow was multiplied due to these unmet needs in my husbands life. But, there was an unexpected joy. My husband and his sister were reunited after a 20-year break in their relationship. They spent hours catching up with one another and said their good-byes with great gratitude for the wonderful time they had together over these few days. Not long after we returned home I received a call from my brother who was in town checking things out for a possible move to our area. Gosh, was I surprised. So we made arrangements for him to come for dinner, and then he wanted to see our new home. Thankfully, I had had a conversation with my mom about my brother’s dog, because she was with him. Jeff’s dog is a Pit Bull. I call them “baby eaters”, and I’m terrified of them. My mom had shared with me that “M.J.” was a very gentle and loving dog. I was soon going to find out for myself! Well, my mom was right, and “M.J.” became a fast buddy. What an unexpected event for my husband and I. I had begun packing for our move the week before we had to make the trip to Ohio in early September. We thought we were moving into our new home the first weekend in October. That was before West Nile Virus struck, and hospitalized, our builder’s tile man. Our builder, and his paint contractor, also got the virus. My husband had taken time off work for our move so he went to the house that morning to see how thing were going. They weren’t. Frustration abounded for our builder who was ill, and working long hard hours setting the tile himself. That morning the young man installing our cook top decided to lay the cook top on the carpet, and a grease stain was left. The plumber drilled through the counter top when installing the garbage disposal, so the counter tops had to be replaced. Then we find out some kids decided to target practice on the windows in our neighborhood. We had four damaged windows to be replaced. Our builder gave up and called to ask if we would mind putting the move off for a week. We gladly postponed the move, but now we had to get on the phone to change our reservations for a U-Haul truck, movers that were going to move the large, heavy things, friends who were helping, my husbands work schedule, and we needed permission to stay in the rental house another week. Thankfully everything worked out and we moved into our new home on October 7th. Finally, within a week to the day of leaving our home in California, we had a home again. By the way, here's a glance at my "almost completed" dream Kitchen prior to move-in! |
|
 |
|
|
|
| August 24, 2006 The new taupe colored trim on our house looks terrific. The stone has also been installed on the front of the house, and the two together give our home the lovely, inviting look we wanted. There is nothing “earth-tone” about our house. Most of the new construction, in every subdivision around, is painted in “earth-tone” colors, and for me looks so boring. Now we wait for the roof to complete the look. It was suppose to be installed two weeks ago, but, so far, no sign of a ladder leaning up against the house. We met with our builder yesterday and he informed us that the latest word from the roofer was that it would be done this week. Jeff said he knows one thing, and that is, if the roofer wants to be paid this month, the work will be done by the 31st of August. We shall see… ---and from hubby, a little sneak peek of the interior, looking from the greatroom toward the formal dining room and the entry! |
|
 |
|
|
|
| August 14, 2006 The new “dusty rose” color on our house is a beautiful color, but not with the “rose” colored trim. Now we have a different shade of the first horror. It is so-o-o pink! We now know that we have to do something drastic to make this livable for us, so my husband went back to the paint store, again. This time we chose a gray-brown taupe color thinking that if we really toned down the trim color we could “save” the house. My husband painted a sample board and we were off to the house with renewed hope. What a dramatic change in appearance! This looked so much better that my husband planed to repaint the trim before the gutters go on in a few weeks. When we met with our builder on Tuesday, we showed him the difference in colors and asked if his schedule would allow for this. His response was, “Get me the color name and I’ll take care of it”. This is the third coat of paint on this trim and Jeff owns no responsibility for our mistakes. My husband said, “No, we don’t expect you to take care of this for us”. Jeff said, “Get me the color name”. What an extremely gracious man we have building our home. We are so blessed…and very thankful. And, it does look so much better! |
||
|
||
| July 28, 2006 We are well into the third month of building our home, and have had very few “glitches” thus far, but this past week we had a “whopper”. My husband went by to check on the progress, as he does most days, and came home slamming doors and fuming. Our home was painted lavender. He took me over to see it, and there it was. A giant Easter-egg-colored house; a bright pinkish purple color! Oh my goodness, this house was screaming, “look at me”, and my husband was fit-to-be-tied. He called our builder, and Jeff came to meet us. Jeff greeted us with a smile on his face and a sparkle in his eye. This is just a “hiccup” he said. I gave him a hug. He was so kind that slowly my husband’s anger evaporated away. The next day we tested two more colors; both too pink. The next day another color was tried; this one was much better. But when my husband mixed this latest one with the lighter of the two pinks, we got the beautiful “dusty rose” color we wanted, we thought. We went over to the house and painted samples of two colors on the house so we could see the real thing near the trim color, and in outside light and shadows. This soft dusty rose color looked lovely. We’ll go check again, but we think we’ve found the color we wanted. Oh, my husband was very much a gentlemen and apologized to Jeff for getting so angry with him. He knew it wasn’t Jeff’s mistake. We chose the colors; it was our mistake. |
||
|
||
| May 24, 2006 There have been thunderstorms and spring rain this week so there wasn’t much done on our home. Thankfully the guys got the concrete poured so we now have a garage floor, porch, driveway, patio and walkways. We’ve had a bit of a slow start but that’s okay, all will work out just fine. Next week bigger things will start happening – floor joists and then framing! |
||
|
||
| July 11, 2006 My husband and I have been blessed with three granddaughters. We have a set of twins here in the U.S., and we have one on the other side of the world, in Australia. The circumstances surrounding the twins are awful, and we don’t know where they are, so we can’t have contact with them. But this is not true of our relationship with our granddaughter in Australia. Her mommy is a blessing to us and has maintained an e-mail relationship with us over the years. She has been faithful to send us pictures and keep us up to date on Sarah’s life. Sarah is now nine years of age and in this past year she has e-mailed and gotten acquainted with us. Then something remarkable happened; we received a phone call one Friday evening, from what I thought was a child who had misdialed. I almost hung up because I could not understand her. She was very persistent in convincing me of who she was, and a new blessing was added to our lives. Sarah is a priceless addition to our lives. Over the years we have sent her cards and gifts in order to assure her of our love even though we have not yet met. Now because of phone cards, calls to Australia are much more affordable, and we can speak with her and attach a voice to the name. Of course the desire of our hearts is to attach a face to the name and meet her. Sarah is a wonderful little girl. Thankfully her mommy fell in love with a man who loves her and she has a wonderful family, including a little sister. She is a happy, secure child that we long to meet. Hopefully the time is not many more years away when my husband and I will be able to go to Australia to be introduced to her face to face. What a joy, for us, that will be. |
||
|
||
| May 11, 2006 We are into the second week of our home building process and we have a foundation poured. My husband goes by the property almost daily to take pictures of the progress and to watch how things are done. He’s noting that there are differences in the way a home is built here versus California, and he is very pleased with what he’s seeing. Note from husband: he'd just like to see more happening faster! |
||
|
||
| May 17, 2006 This past Sunday was Mother’s Day, and probably for most mothers it was a very pleasant day. Hopefully your children remembered you with cards and gifts, whether homemade or purchased, and maybe even a special meal. One of my nieces little boys brought her a bowl of cold cereal in bed. It’s the thought that counts, right? He just wanted to please her and he did. My mom is having the wonderful blessing of spending this week in Hawaii with my father and brother. But, there were some of us who were not remembered by our sons and daughters. If you were one of us I hope God blessed you with a wonderful husband as He did me. My husband never forgets to be thoughtful on those special occasions that routinely come around. I can count on him as surely as I can count on the sun rising and setting each day. This year it was especially important to me that he be thoughtful because of our move. I couldn’t be with my mom and I was very uncertain about my son. This was the first time my son has ignored Mother’s Day. I guess, “out–of–sight, out–of –mind”, I don’t know. But my dear hubby remembered me with a beautiful card and a new teapot. Because of his thoughtfulness there were only a few moments of hurt, and then I moved on through my day and didn’t look back. We had a wonderful day together and I was reminded again that my husband treasures me. I sure hope and pray that every mom felt treasured by someone close to her on this very special day. God bless you… |
||
|
||
| May 4, 2006 Those of you who have been following my BLOG might remember reading how difficult it was for me to sell our home in California and move to Idaho. Well, we have come full circle since that summer in 2005. Monday, May 1, we broke ground on our new home here in Nampa, and if all goes according to plan, we will finally be in our own home again by early September. I am thrilled with the whole idea of emptying the boxes that have been stored in the garage and having my things out and around me again. My plan is to write about this experience of building a home over these next four months. This is a first for me. Thankfully, it is not a first for my husband or our builder. |
||
|
||
| April 18, 2006 Do you ever spend time being quiet and alone? I have found that my alone time is essential to my sense of well-being. Actually I’m not alone; I’m being quiet with God. My purpose, and need, is to allow myself the opportunity to focus on Him and his word in the midst of all the challenges of day-to-day life. Out of these times has come much personal growth. By nature I’m a person who has always enjoyed being alone. I’ve had to work hard at developing the skills necessary to be comfortable with others, but out of these labors have come many personal insights into myself as well as those around me. I’ve learned to relax and enjoy getting to know new people in my home rather than feeling intense fear and discomfort. Even as I write these thoughts I’m very aware that I still have my moments of fear when I must make the decision to push myself past my discomfort. If I don’t, I will not have the blessings of success, and all the wonderful feelings that come with personal growth. Becoming aware of our gifts and talents is so important to our overall sense of self. We learn how God has touched our lives and made us very unique for very special purposes. I have gained a tremendous sense of value that goes way past my ability to cook and clean. If I choose to, I can touch other lives by inviting them into our home. What was a very fearful experience has become an enjoyable one. One that I now realize is a God-given gift that can be used for tremendous joy, not only in my life, but in the lives of others as well. And, after all, isn’t this important in this world that is so often impersonal and uncaring? We do have the ability to pay value to others and bring some joy into their lives. |
||
|
||
| April 3, 2006 I’m a yogurt lover, and my husband is not. My husbands only desire for yogurt is the soft-frozen dessert kind covered in hot fudge sauce. Because yogurt is such a wonderfully nutritious food I sneak it into his diet whenever and wherever I can. He never knows when he is eating it unless I let the “cat-out-of–the-bag”. I am careful to make sure I taste things before putting them on the table so that I keep my secrets secret. Besides that, it isn’t any fun to eat something that isn’t appealing. So here is a recipe that I put together for dinner last week that went over well. It is a fast and easy salad to make, and is very good. Cucumber Cream Salad 1/3 Cup plain fat-free yogurt 3 tbsps. Mayonnaise 2 tbsps. Sugar 2 tsps. Fresh lemon juice ¼ tsp. dried dill weed ¼ tsp. salt 1 Large cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced 2 Green onions, sliced including some of the green part In a bowl large enough to combine ingredients, whisk first 6 ingredients until smooth and creamy. Add cucumber and green onion and gently mix until cucumber is well coated with dressing. Cover and chill for an hour or longer, stirring a time or two. Server 3-4 |
||
|
||
| March 28, 2006 As any of you, who have been reading my BLOGS know, we have been going through many separations and changes in our lives over the past several months. This week I made a decision to do some extreme connecting with a young man who is very dear to my husband and I, our nephew, Martin, who is serving in Iraq. I set aside my feelings of separation from loved ones, and went into my kitchen to make Martin and his buddies some cookies and fudge. For a few days I focused on their feelings of separation, and what I could do to say, “I love you, you matter”, and I thoroughly enjoyed the endeavor. It was like Christmas when the kitchen is warm and smells so good, and boxes need to be packed for shipping to our loved ones. I have never sent anything to anyone in the military, so as a first timer, I questioned my niece to see what she and her friends have done for their hubbies in the form of food gifts. She said anything would be wonderful and very appreciated, so I proceeded. Now, Martin and friends might need to eat their fudge with a spoon but my husband reassures me that they will enjoy it. Regardless, I hope that each bite reminds them that they are loved, very appreciated and that the job they are doing for us is highly valued in this world of chaos and danger. Thank you Martin and friends, we love you… |
||
|
||
| March 1, 2006 I am so blessed to have three wonderful nieces in my life, each with special gifts and talents. One of them holds that special place of being the first one introduced into my life when I was twenty-two years old, and single. She is the only daughter of my now deceased sister. I’m sure one of the big reasons she will always have a special place in my heart is because she is my sister’s daughter, and because she was first, but also because of my sister’s health challenges. Because my sister spent so much of her life sick, and in the hospital, my niece and I spent huge amounts of time together. For all intents and purposes I was like a surrogate mom to her. We loved to play games together. We would sit and play “Yahtzee” by the hour, or sometimes we would play the card game “Rummy”. It didn’t matter what we did, we had a special relationship and we enjoyed our time together. This niece is now thirty years of age, is married to a military man, has six children and lives in Louisiana. Needless to say we don’t get to spend time together now, but we do “talk” to each other almost daily by way of e-mail. We can also call each other on our cell phones and it’s free because we have the same service. I was one of those people who absolutely hated computers and cell phones, and what they were doing to our world. I am now so thankful that I have access to them, and that my husband literally forced them on me. As the old saying goes, he “dragged me kicking and screaming”, but if he hadn’t I would not have daily “access” to this precious niece, and her family, and my life would be sorely lacking. Thank you so much honey… |
||
|
||
| Feb. 15, 2006 My younger sister had diabetes from about the age of 10. The type she had caused her to be labeled a “brittle diabetic” and made her life extremely difficult. When she was in her early forties, she lost the function of her kidneys, and was on dialysis for several years before this awful disease took her life on January 19, 2004. During those years I worked hard at learning how to cook for her. Food can be a serious nemesis for those that have to eat a no sugar, no salt, low fat and low carbohydrate diet. Can you even imagine living life like this? It was painful to be a part of for many reasons but I learned a lot. I am not a dietician or a nurse; I just did a lot of experimenting and work in the kitchen. My sister was a very grateful “Guinea Pig”. This recipe that I am sharing here is one that I would make for her except without the brown sugar in the topping. I would use only sugar substitute and I would have used less salt-free butter. The way I have written it here is great for my husband and I as we love dessert. This dish has the wonderful benefit of antioxidant-rich blueberries and a reasonable calorie count for those of us who care about such things. Winter Berry Crisp 1-16oz. Pkg. frozen blueberries 1 Tbsp. Lemon juice 4 Pkgs. Sugar substitute - If you aren’t watching calories or sugar intake use: ¼ - 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed 2/3 cup Old Fashioned oatmeal (quick cooking may be used, not instant!) ½ cup flour 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed ½ tsp. ground nutmeg ¼ cup butter, room temperature Do not thaw blueberries; just pour them from the freezer package into a non-greased 1 ½ qt. casserole or an 8”x 8” pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle lemon juice over berries and place in the oven while you prepare topping. Combine oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, and nutmeg in a medium size bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut better into dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly. Remove blueberries from oven. As they thaw they will begin to show some juice, which will help in properly combining the berries with the sugar substitute. Mix gently and then sprinkle the topping evenly over the berries. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Tip: The low-fat double-churned ice cream products on the market are an excellent substitute for the higher fat varieties as a way to further cut calories. Per 4 servings, 313 calories each without ice cream Per 6 servings, 208 calories each “ “ “ |
||
|
||
| January 29, 2006 My husband had been talking about moving to Idaho for several years, and I would smile, and let him know that I would not even consider such a thing. I told him that I had moved for the last time. I am now sitting at the kitchen table, writing down my thoughts, in Idaho. The old adage is, “never say never” and I have certainly learned the reality and truth behind the adage. One of the things I remember saying over and over again is, “I don’t do snow”. As I sit here looking out the window it is snowing heavily, and I love to watch it fall. It is a gorgeous sight to me; one that I thoroughly enjoy. Growing up in the central valley of California I remember three snowfalls during my younger years. One had to go to the Sierra Nevada’s for a “real” snowfall, and I didn’t go. Another new and wonderful blessing for me is to daily watch the ducks and geese fly low overhead. I’ve just now watched the beauty of a flock of ducks flying through the falling snow. They are everywhere. One day, as my husband and I were driving to the store, we passed by a field where thousands of geese were feeding and enjoying one another’s company. What a sight, and what a tremendous life style change for us. This has been a beneficial move for us in so many ways. |
||
|
||
| January 22, 2006 My goodness time goes quickly and life moves on whether or not we are ready for it to. We moved into a rental house the first weekend in November, my husband went to work on November 14th. We unpacked just enough boxes to make the house our temporary home while we continue the process of finding, or building, "our" home. Three months later I am very comfortable going out to get my hair cut or purchase groceries, but not as comfortable as I want to be about going to worship on Sunday morning. My heart is still in Modesto, CA at our church, with our friends who loved us and carried us through eighteen months of unemployment, and a very painful move. We went back to Modesto and went to church Christmas eve and Christmas morning. Nothing had changed about going to church except that we were staying with friends instead of being in a home of our own. Comfortable, warm, loving and familiar in my world now filled with newness and uncertainties. The handshakes and hugs were an outgrowth of the joy of being together again and catching up with one another. In some ways we do have to go back before we can go forward. The love and support of those close to us gives us strength and encouragement to move on. Our spirits are lifted with the knowledged that we are valued and of great importance to those we moved away from. We have the support we need to continue on in our new journey knowing we are remembered and missed. |
||
|
||
| October 12, 2005 It's been a month since I've put any of my personal thoughts on our blog. It has also been a very difficult month and writing was impossible. Escrow closed on our home in California on September 20th. My life was packed into boxes and loaded onto a truck and hauled away to storage on September 28. On the 29th we took care of details and on September 30 we left town for Idaho. Because we were so tired we took two days for our trip, which was intended to be a time for some relaxing. Because life is what it is and we people are who we are, our trip was anything but relaxing. The important thing for us is that we survived the stresses and made it to our little apartment/motel to begin our new life. Our 1 bedroom apartment is very nice and we've settled into a fairly simple routine of job search, house hunting and homemaking. In this process we've met some wonderful and very friendly people. We have felt welcome and I am so thankful. |
||
|
||
| September 14, 2005 All around me there is change. Fall is my favorite time of year with the cooler temperatures and changing colors. I love and need this rhythm in my life. All year long I care for, and nurture, the potted mums around our swimming pool just to enjoy their gorgeous color for a few short weeks in late October and November. This year the changes are different, not a part of my normal fall emotions. This year there are boxes being filled with our belongings and stacked in the garage waiting for moving day. There's a huge growing pile for the dump as my husband goes through the shed, yard and garage. What do we want to pay movers to load on the truck bound for storage and what are he, and a friend, going to haul away to the dump? Some very big questions as this process continues to go along. My husband is very excited about these changes, and is greatly looking forward to the close of our life here and moving on to check out Idaho. He has been checking Idaho out via the internet for several years now and really likes what he sees. He has continued the job search here, and has regular interviews, but still nothing tangible to hold on to into our eighteenth month of unemployment. So I know, and understand, the reasons for his excitement and our need to be packing boxes. I'm not excited about this change. I only know it has to be done and I'm doing what I have to do to get prepared for moving day and surrendering my home to the new owners. I find myself thinking about them and wondering if they will love living here as much as I have. Will they care for our tree that we have nurtured back from near death? Will they protect the oak woodwork that my husband spent hundreds of hours finishing and installing throughout the house? I then remind myself that it isn't my concern. Escrow is closing in seven days and I will be leaving this house to another woman, and her family, with the greatest hope that it will be a wonderful safe haven for them, as it has been for me. |
||
|
||
| August 18, 2005 It has been one week since we listed our home and the "For Sale" sign went up in our yard. The first young woman to come look at the interior came on Monday and submitted an "offer" on Wednesday. I could see the look in her eyes; she loved it. So this morning we discussed the offer with our realtor, but in the meantime another couple came through last evening. The realtor said, "I'm going to keep my eye on this one (the house)." It's the love and care we've poured into our home. The hundreds of hours my husband has spent on the oak finish work throughout the home and his wonderful eye for detail. It shows inside, but also on the outside with the hours we put into choosing and mixing colors of paint. The color of the driveway, the tile we used to pave the entry and walkway, the color of the stone on the front of the house, and the paint colors, all combine and flow into one beautiful look that stands out on our street. Our realtor told us she could sell our home very quickly. It looks as though we better go get apple boxes and start packing up our belongings. I wonder if we'll have the desire, and energy, to pour our hearts into updating another old house and make it a warm and inviting home, time will tell... |
||
|
||
August 15, 2005 We had a small change in the events of this week. There is no "For Sale" sign posted in our yard yet, due to an appointment my husband had on Tuesday. With this appointment came a resurgence of hope for a job in our area. An appointment that was very reassuring for my husband after having been out of the computer field for 17 months. Maybe we will know early this week. In the meantime, we continue to prepare the house for showing to prospective buyers. My husband is excited about the prospect of leaving California. I, on the other hand, am not. As I watch him change the color on our front door, to the new choice, I am secretly thankful for a little more completion of our remodeling plans that we started a few years back. He’s thinking of the prospective buyers, I’m thinking of myself… |
||
|
||
| August 3, 2005 July 31 was the anniversary date of my husband's job loss due to corporate downsizing. With the beginning of the seventeenth month of this endurance test we have called our realtor to get the process started to sell our home. I can't believe we are here. This decision is particularly difficult for me because it is my first home and we've only had it seven years. To make matters worse, we are in the middle of remodeling it to be the way we wanted it. Our plan was to stay here until we died. The hearts in this home are breaking, and I guess still hoping God will provide a miracle. Of course He can, I wonder if He will... ? |
||
|
||
| August 1, 2005 We live in the “central valley” of California where it gets very hot in the summer. I hate the heat, I always have, but the one thing that this heat is good for is wonderful produce. We have an abundance of tree ripened fruit and vegetables of every kind. There is a wonderful Farmers Market downtown in which a street is closed to traffic and the vendors set up shop. We have fruit stands galore and many people grow their own produce in their backyards. At our church the people who have more produce than they can use bring the extra to share with others. We have friends that live in the country and have space for fruit trees and a large garden. We were given permission to go to their home and help ourselves while they were away on a recent two–week trip out of the country. What a joy to search my cookbooks for new ways to cook peaches and squash. I have found some wonderful new recipe ideas that help me to be more appreciative of this summer heat. |
||
|
||
July 23, 2005 Mya adored my husband and he loved her with a passion. When we walked she routinely loked up at him for approval and a scratch behind her ears. When he had to go out, and she couldn't go along, she would stand at the door, with her nose pointed at it, waiting for his return. She was all over him the moment he walked in the door, Iif I hadn't let her out into t he yeard to greet him first! She loved chasing bumpers, and she was fast. But, the funniest thing in the world was to watch her prance, ears flying, bumper-in-mouth, around the yeard. Even our neighbors loved watching her and would comment on her personality. She was so much a part of our lives, and our daily routine, that she would not start eating her meal until after we said grace and began eating ours. She always followed my husband's lead. |
||
|
||
June 27, 2005 Our worlds are so different, and there is a fourteen-year age difference between us, but we have a wonderful bond between us, and we make sure we maintain and care for our relationship. In these days of uncertainty it is so reassuring to have special people in our lives that show how much they care, and who make the time to show that care for us. It sure goes a long way to encourage and reassure us of our value in this othewise impersonal world we live in. |
||
|
||
June 19, 2005 She has the sweetest spirit though and does not loose heart. She is a widow and last year her only son suddenly and unexpectedly died. This year cancer returned with a vengeance. Actually it returned last year, but her doctor didn't want to bother with sending her to a specialist for a biopsy. It's just a benigh cyst, nothing o be concerned about, encouraged her physician. Then it was too late. This 'benigh cyst" spread its ugly fingers deeper into her back and finally surgery was done. |
||
|
||
| JUNE 1, 2005 My niece graduated from high school last Friday evening and on Sunday her family gathered for a BBQ in he honor. Both sides of her family were there, meaning her mother’s parents and siblings, and her father’s. Some of us had not seen each other since my sister-in-law’s bby shower, when she was pregnant with my niece, and some people had never met. It was very interesting to watch the interactions, especially when it was time to sit down to eat. |
||
|
||
| MAY 21, 2005 MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE BEEN IN THE THROWS OF UNEMPLOYMENT FOR FOURTEEN MONTHS NOW. ONE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS ONGOING STATE OF AFFAIRS IS SLEEPLESSNESS, WHICH WE EACH DEAL WITH DIFFERENTLY. MY HUBBY HATES TO GET OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING. HE IS A FIRM BELIEVER THAT GOD REALLY DIDN'T INTEND THE DAY TO START UNTIL AT LEAST 9:00 A.M. I, ON THE OTHER HAND, CAN'T STAND LYING IN BED UNLESS I'M READING A GOOD BOOK. SO THIS MORNING, IT'S 3:00 A.M. AND I'M UP FOR THE DAY, WRITING DOWN SOME OF MY THOUGHTS, AGAIN. MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE BEEN THROUGH A GREAT DEAL OF UNEMPLOYMENT IN OUR 26- YEARS OF MARITAL LIFE TOGETHER. HIS FORMER TRADE WAS THAT OF A CUSTOM FINISH CARPENTER. I SAY FORMER BECAUSE IN 1995 HE WAS TAKEN OUT OF CARPENTRY AND WAS RETRAINED TO BE A NETWORK ENGINEER. HE FINALLY HAD A JOB WITH MEDICAL BENEFITS AND STABILITY, OR SO WE THOUGHT. HE WENT TO WORK IN THIS FIELD IN 1996 AND ON MARCH 31, 2004 HE WAS LAID-OFF. WE LIVED OUT THE SEVERANCE PAY, UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, AND MAXING OUT THE LINE-OF-CREDIT AGAINST OUR HOME BEFORE GOING TO OUR CHURCH BODY FOR HELP. GOING TO OUR CHURCH'S ELDER BOARD FOR HELP WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR MY HUSBAND BECAUSE HE IS ON THE BOARD. ACTUALLY, I MISSPOKE, IT WAS HUMILIATING AND EMBARRASSING FOR HIM. MY HUSBAND HAD NO REASON TO FEEL ASHAMED BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN DOING ANY WORK HE COULD FIND TO KEEP US AFLOAT. (I HAVE HAD A HOME-BASED IRONING BUSINESS I'VE DONE FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS). GOD HAS PROVIDED WORK, IN CONSTRUCTION, THROUGH A FEW FRIENDS FROM CHURCH. WE HAVE COME FULL CIRCLE IN 10 SHORT YEARS WITH NO END IN SIGHT. THERE IS MUCH TO TELL ABOUT THESE PAST 14 MONTHS, BUT I WILL END WITH THESE THOUGHTS. I KNOW WHO MY TRUE FRIENDS ARE AND WHO IN MY LIFE IS LOYAL AND NOT JUST TALK. I KNOW THAT THE MAN I GAVE MY HEART TO 27 YEARS AGO IS A MAN WITH STRONG CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY THAT WILL DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE FOR US. I KNOW THAT EVEN THOUGH WE GET ABSOLUTELY EXHAUSTED AND WANT TO QUIT, WE WON'T. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I KNOW MY GOD IS FAITHFUL TO HIS WORD, AND HE WON'T QUIT EITHER! |
||
|
||
| MAY 12, 2004 THE LADIES IN MY FAMILY LOVE TO PLAY "WORD" GAMES SUCH AS "BONGO" AND "SCRABBLE", THE FAVORITE BEING "SCRABBLE". WHEN I SAY "LADIES" I MEAN FROM THE YOUNGEST TO THE OLDEST. THERE ARE FOUR OF US THAT LIVE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER NOW AND WE JUST HAPPEN TO BE TWO MOTHER-DAUGHTER TEAMS THAT CONSIST OF MY MOM AND ME, AND MY SISTER-IN-LAW AND HER EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER. OUR STATED GOAL IS TO GET TOGETHER FOR OUR "SCRABBLE LUNCHEON" EVERY TWO TO THREE MONTHS, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, AND OUR PURPOSE IS TO LAUGH AND HAVE FUN. THERE WERE MORE OF US AS RECENTLY AS JUST THE LAST FEW YEARS, BUT MY SISTER PASSED AWAY IN JAN. 2004, AND HER DAUGHTER MARRIED A MILITARY MAN AND MOVED AWAY. TRADITIONALLY GAMES WERE PLAYED, BY A FEW OF US, ON CHRISTMAS DAY AFTER THINGS QUIETED DOWN. THIS WAS TIME SPENT WITH MY MOM THAT I REALLY VALUED. SHE WAS AN INCREDIBLY BUSY MOTHER OF FIVE KIDS, AND WORKED OUTSIDE THE HOME AS WELL, SO THERE WASN'T MUCH TIME TO PLAY GAMES WHEN I WAS GROWING UP. MY SISTER'S DAUGHTER IS NOW THIRTY-YEARS-OLD AND, AS I SAID EARLIER, HAS MOVED AWAY. WHEN SHE WAS GROWING UP WE WERE VERY CLOSE. WE SPENT AS MUCH TIME TOGETHER AS POSSIBLE AND A LOT OF THAT TIME WAS SPENT PLAYING GAMES. WHEN SHE WAS A LITTLE GIRL, AND LEARNING TO SPELL, WE PLAYED THE GAME "HANG MAN" BY THE HOUR. THAT WAS PRECIOUS TIME TOGETHER THAT WILL ALWAYS BE TREASURED BY ME. SHE AND I PLAYED "SCRABBLE", "YAHTZEE" AND CARD GAMES TOGETHER WELL INTO HER HIGH SCHOOL YEARS, AND THEN SHE DISCOVERED BOYS! AT OUR LAST "SCRABBLE LUNCHEON", IN APRIL, WE MENTIONED HOW WONDERFUL IT WOULD BE, IF WE WERE RICH AND COULD AFFORD IT, TO FLY HER HERE FOR A SATURDAY. NOT ONLY IS SHE REALLY MISSED, BUT SHE IS A MOMMY OF SIX VERY YOUNG CHILDREN AND WE ARE ALL QUITE SURE AN AFTERNOON OF GOOD FOOD AND LAUGHTER, WITH US, WOULD BE A LOVELY BREAK FOR HER! NOW WITH THE FOUR OF US THAT REMAIN THERE IS A VERY SPECIAL BOND THAT IS GROWING OVER A GAME BOARD. WE ARE GETTING TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER BETTER, WHICH IS WONDERFUL FOR ME SINCE MY NIECE WILL BE GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN TWO WEEKS AND HAS COLLEGE PLANS. AT THIS TIME SHE DOESN'T PLAN TO LEAVE TOWN FOR A FEW YEARS, BUT SHE WILL LEAVE BECAUSE HER GOAL IS TO BECOME A PHYSICIAN, SO ALL TOO SOON WE WILL LOSE ANOTHER ONE OF OUR LADIES TO A DISTANT LOCATION. I'M NOT AT ALL SURE WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN "DOWN-THE-ROAD" WITH OUR "SCRABBLE LUNCHEONS," BUT I HAVE A FEW THOUGHTS. MAYBE MY "MILITARY" NIECE WILL BE BACK HOME. MAYBE MY SON'S GIRLFRIEND WILL BE HIS WIFE AT THAT TIME AND SHE WOULD WANT TO JOIN US OR MAYBE THERE IS A LONELY FRIEND WHO NEEDS THE WARMTH OF COMPANIONSHIP, GOOD FOOD AND SOME LAUGHTER. OF COURSE, I JUST DON'T KNOW. BUT I DO KNOW THIS. IF AT ALL POSSIBLE OUR "LUNCHEONS" WILL GO ON FOR A LONG TIME TO COME. HERE IS A THOUGHT FOR A SWEET TREAT, WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO PREPARE SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL, BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO RUN TO THE MARKET EITHER. MIX UP A "FAMILY SIZE" PACKAGE OF BROWNIES ACCORDING TO THE LABEL DIRECTIONS. THEN ADD ONE CUP OF CHOCOLATE CHIPS (OR MORE) AND ONE CUP OF BROKEN WALNUTS OR PECANS AND BAKE ACCORDING TO PACKAGE DIRECTIONS. THIS IS SO SIMPLE AND FAST AND THE BROWNIES ARE A LITTLE MORE SPECIAL. WHY NOT INVITE A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS OVER FOR AN AFTERNOON OF BROWNIES AND FUN WHILE PLAYING A GAME? IT'S A WONDERFUL WAY TO SLOW DOWN AND RE-CONNECT. |
||
|
||
| MAY 4, 2005 LAST YEAR, IN JAN. 2004, OUR THEN 33-YEAR-OLD SON MOVED BACK HOME WITH ALL HIS SPORTS STUFF AND HIS BLACK LAB, TUCKER, IN TOW. HIS NEED FOR COMING HOME WAS BECAUSE AFTER PUTTING HIMSELF THROUGH SCHOOL HE WAS DEEPLY IN DEBT AND NEEDED TO FINISH HIS TEACHING CREDENTIAL. HE ALSO NEEDED TO DO 18 WEEKS OF STUDENT TEACHING FOR WHICH HE WOULD NOT GET PAID. HE HAD BEEN DOING SOME DOG TRAINING ON A PART-TIME BASIS AND THOUGHT HE MIGHT LIKE TO DEVELOP THIS INTEREST INTO A BUSINESS. WELL, HIS FATHER AND I HAD ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF HIS INTERESTS, SO THIS TIME WAS NO DIFFERENT, AND WE ALLOWED OUR SIDE YARD TO BE TURNED INTO A HAVEN FOR LABRADOR RETRIEVERS. WHAT A LIFE-ALTERING EVENT! I HAVE NEVER BEEN AN ANIMAL LOVER. I WAS RAISED WITH ANIMALS AND MY FATHER AND YOUNGEST BROTHER BOTH HAD DOGS FOR HUNTING. MY SON HAD ALWAYS HAD ANIMALS, FROM DOGS TO SNAKES, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. I PUT UP WITH THE SNAKES GETTING LOOSE IN THE HOUSE BECAUSE I LOVED MY SON AND WANTED MY "GOOD MOMMY" BADGE. BUT WHEN HE MOVED OUT, AS AN ADULT, I THOUGHT I HAD FINISHED PAYING MY DUES AND NOW OUR HOME WOULD BE QUIET AND PEACEFUL. IN THE MIDST OF OUR LAWN BEING DESTROYED, PLANTS KILLED, DOGS BARKING AND OUR SON'S RIDICULOUS SCHEDULE, HE BRINGS HOME A THREE-MONTH-OLD PUPPY NAMED "MAI TAI" THAT STEALS MY HEART. I LOVE THIS LITTLE FEMALE, WITH THE SPARKLING PERSONALITY, WHO LIVES FOR THE SHEER JOY OF HUMAN CONTACT AND CHASING "BUMPERS". MAI TAI, "MYA" FOR SHORT, IS BEING TRAINED AS A FIELD CHAMPION, BUT THIS IS OF NO IMPORTANCE TO MY HUBBY AND I. WE JUST TAKE SUCH DELIGHT IN HAVING HER IN OUR LIVES. SHE ADORES MY HUSBAND. WHEN WE WALK WITH HER SHE CONTINUOUSLY LOOKS UP AT HIM WITH THOSE WARM AND ENGAGING "LAB" EYES, ALWAYS LOOKING FOR HIS APPROVAL AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT SHE WILL PULL HERSELF UP ON HER HIND LEGS, BESIDE THE BED, AND NUZZLE HIM AS IF TO SAY, "I JUST NEED A REASSURING HUG". ONE NIGHT WHEN I HAD HAD A REALLY BAD DREAM, AND CRIED OUT, SHE WAS ON MY SIDE OF THE BED LIKE A SHOT TO CHECK ON ME AND NUZZLE ME WITH HER REASSURANCE. SHE HAS BLESSED OUR LIVES WITH HER JOY. MYA IS A PRECIOUS PART OF OUR LIVES! WE WILL BE ETERNALLY THANKFUL TO OUR SON FOR BRINGING HER HOME, AND THEN FOR HIS GENEROUS GIFT IN MAKING HER OURS. THANK YOU, SON... RESPONSE: 5-9-2005 I HAVE NEVER BEEN AN ANIMAL LOVER EITHER. ONE DAY, I CAME HOME, AND SOMEONE HAD LEFT A LITTLE PUPPY FOR US, WITH A THANK YOU NOTE. THEY WERE MOVING, AND WANTED TO THANK US FOR ALL WE HAD DONE FOR THEM. THE NOTE DIDN'T EVEN MENTION THE DOG. SO THAT IS HOW WE CAME TO HAVE TURBO. OUR BLACK LAB MIX. HE HAS REALLY BECOME A PART OF MY FAMILY, AND I CAN NOT EXPRESS HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE FOR HIS PRESENCE. THIS WAS A GREAT POST. LISA MADSEN, UTAH |
||
|
||
APRIL 7, 2005 CHOCOLATE FUDGE BUTTER A 9"X13" PAN AND SET ASIDE. USING A 3-QUART SAUCEPAN, ADD: ADD: |
||
|
||
