Lesson for the week

Winter is still here and with it is the winter blues. I've decided to get out and get some fresh air every day even if I don't want to get out, which is usually the case. It seems to be helping alot. My mood has been lifted up from doing just that. Its been a sad week here. We lost a friend to suicide on Monday. I just don't know what would make someone choose to do such a horrible thing to themselves and those that love them and know them. Leaving alot of unanswered questions behind. Once the shock of it wears off I'm sure things will start to add up but until then my thoughts are haunted with him.
I heard a little boy from the slums in Dubai say "the most important thing in life is family. You can have money and things buy you will loose them and your family will be yours forever." That is so true. We get stressed by all the finacial struggles, the relationship hardaches but at the end of the day your family is always there and no one can take that away from you.
Lesson for the week, don't take your friends and family for granted and don't stress over material things.
Amen

Reaching out

Being under the weather seems like it lasts an eternity!! I've been struggling with this cold that seems to have settled in my chest and my sinuses (if thats how thats spelled). How miserable to not have enough energy to do anything but turn a page in a book that I don't even read, just look at the pictures! I've decided after looking at all the picture books that I'm going to try to get back into making my own cards for people. I rarely spend any quality time with my friends and family because of our "busy" lives. How nice it would be to get a homemade card. So today I rounded up enough energy to go to Michaels and I bought some really pretty paper to make cards out of. I can think of 2 people right off the bat that I NEED to get a card out to. I will make those first.
Card making can be very relaxing so when I'm finally done I will post my finished product! Wish me luck!!

Another Sunday Sharing

Today has been pretty lazy and I mean LAZY! No energy to do much of anything but thats ok, at least I made it to church and haven't done that for awhile. I really need those prayers that will lead me there every Sunday, thanks in advance!

The one and only thing I did this afternoon was make my homemade doggie bed. I found this tutorial on a web site called Crafters.org. Its one of those tie knots patterns that doesn't take long and involves NO sewing! My favorite kind. Its super easy and before I even got it done, little Jazz was trying to get on it! She loves it. If you have dogs or even kittys (if you read her blog you will find even guinea pigs love these) you need to make one. It should take about 1 hr if your slow like me.

Here's the website with the tutorial near the bottom!!http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=236744.20

Sunday Sharing

okay, so who doesn't like a good healthy recipe?? I love to get simple, quick, and good tasting recipies all the time so today I'm going to share one of mine with you. For some reason this recipe reminds me of a nice spring day out on the patio table meal. Here's your grocery list:

1) 2 tbls. of olive oil, 2)1 med. red onion, diced 3)4 cloves garlic,minced 4)1 zucchini, halved and thinly sliced 5) 1/2 lb. green beens cut in 1" pieces 6) 3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth, defatted 7) 2 tomatoes,chopped 8) 1 cup pinto or red kidney beans, rinsed and drained 9) 1/4 tsp. salt 10) 1/4 tsp ground pepper 11) 12 oz. rotini pasta 12) 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese.

Start heating water in a pot for boiling the pasta. In a skillet heat your oil over medium heat and then add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is tender about 7 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and cook that until the zuccini is soften about 2 min. Then add the green beans and broth and cook until the greenbeans are almost ender about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, basil, salt, and pepper and cook until the greanbeans are totally tender and the sauce is slightly thickened about 4 more minutes. Cook the rotini in the boiling water until just tender. Drain. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl, add the pasta and toss. Sprinkle the cheese over it when you serve. It's so delicious!

Sometimes I add some cooked chicken too, YUMMY

Hope this uplifted anyone who is looking for something good to make in the wintertime.

Enjoy

A Walk With Nature

Nature can be very uplifting! Today I just haven't had any energy and almost feel as though I'm just down in the dump. No reason for it, just one of those days that for some reason or other I needed an uplifting. After 3 cups of coffee and still no energy, I decide maybe I just need some sunshine which has been scarce these days. Luckily today was a very sunny day and not too cold. So I put on my jacket and headed out with my camera. If I don't bring it I will come upon a 3 headed bird and no one would believe me so now I bring it with me most all the time! Trudging through the mud and dodging all the doggie piles, I head to the hill so that I can overlook the view. What a pretty site it is to look down on the little town. Very peaceful and somehow so majical that after a few minutes of solitude my attitude starts to change. How very lucky I am to be so close to such beauty. My spirits seem to be lifted a little now so I feel its time to head back the way I came up. I take the same path but this time life seems a little bit brighter so of course my outlook is much better. I took pictures of a few things I saw going home that I never noticed walking by the first time. I guess if your in the mood, nature will truely talk to you in her own way. Pay attention!

Who would have thought

First blog of the year, holy cow, where did time go?? It sure flys by the older we get. Life seems so busy every single day. Need to go here need to go there, pick up this drop off that and groceries groceries groceries. Why do we buy so many groceries? I can go to the store and purchase 200 dollars of groceries and before the week is over, I already have a list. I just don't understand. There are only 3 of us living under this roof (4 dogs and a cat too). Can you imagine having octuplets?? No WAY! Thank you very much!! I guess I shouldn't complain.

Ok, I found a really cool store that in the 41 years I've lived here I've never gone in this store. I can't believe it! The prices are really pretty good too. It's the cash and carry store on 5th avenue. I LOVE it!! I went in for coffee filters and came out with peanut butter, latte syrup, espresso (white coffee, which is awesome) gummy hamburgers, canned corn and YES, coffee filters too. 29 dollars later! All I needed was coffee filters so I'm not sure if I saved money after all. At least I left feeling like I hit a sale!

My wonderful husband surprised me this Christmas with a Canon Rebel camera. Now i've decided its time to learn how to use it so I grabbed one of the gummy hamburgers and told it to come with me. As we trudged outside in the snow, wind, dirt, and rocks of our new "yard" i looked for the perfect spot to have a photo shoot. Well, now anyone who might have been watching me KNOWS i'm crazy! Yes, I situated my gummy hamburger on rocks, fence posts and even in the snow. I must admit, I got some pretty good shots if I say so myself! Our shoot ended when Gummy fell off the branch and landed in the mud. The weird part is . . . . I REALLY enjoyed my model and was sad to see it ruined. Tomorrows a new day so I'll see what i can find to photograph. In the mean time, here are some of Gummys best shots. Enjoy

My First Day of "blogging"

I've been reading my sisters "blog" and have never known what "blog" ever meant but after reading several days I had felt like I knew what was going on with her so much more that I chose to "blog" myself. What a great way to release all my inner thoughts and not have to bore anyone in person. I hope that I be even 1/2 way close to as interesting as my little sis. No promises though.