Friday, March 6, 2009

SHORTER NOW!

I haven't blogged here in awhile -- I've been posting on Little Sassy Sews, but this family blog has been sorely neglected.

My how the time flies. Andy came, visited for a short time and then -- POOF -- he was gone again. The day before he left, Andy, Mark and I had lunch and the waitress snapped our picture for us. While we were standing there waiting, Mark said, "Mom .... you used to be taller!"


So, here's a picture from about 10 years ago:



And here's the 2009 version:
By golly, I think Mark is right -- I'm getting shorter!


Monday, February 2, 2009

CELEBRATE AMANDA!

Sweet Amanda is having a birthday. It's been such a joy watching her grow over the years. I remember when we found out her mother was expecting. We hadn't had babies in the family for about 10 years. Then Alice was pregnant with C.J. -- her first baby. Before he was born, I found out I was pregnant with Andy -- my first baby. After CJ was born, but while Andy was still in "the oven" we found out Bille was expecting -- her third baby! Suddenly we had 3 babies within 1 year! Such a wealth of new life. Love that new life stuff! Babies are great.

Then Alice and I each had one more boy, so we had a total of 5 little ones with Amanda being the only girl in the crowd.


I always loved this picture of THE COUSINS. In some ways, she still looks like that -- with that sweet smile on her face!

I wish I could show you some of the New York pictures (they're among the pictures which haven't been scanned yet) She flew to visit us in New York and I think it was her first real "grown up" thing to do -- flying all the way to New York by herself when she was still just a teenager. Gosh we enjoyed having her. She was a real joy to have around - and like a breath of Texas air to me.

When she was in high school, I think she dreamed of being a dancer, but life has a way of taking us in other directions.




And now she's a beautiful (and very busy) Mom of three boys.
Happy birthday, sweet Amanda. We LUV you!

Friday, January 23, 2009

Song for the Day

This morning I woke up with a Peasall Sisters song in my head called Jump. Since Andy gets home in about 2 hours, it seems especially appropriate for this day.

Jump

I knew it wasn't Everest
But it sure seemed high to me.
And though barely 5 years old
I shimmied up that tree.
Halfway up I looked down,
It seemed a mile away.
I still recall the fear I felt
Like it was yesterday.

Daddy came running when he heard my cry.
And he told me as his arms opened wide,

"Jump, child I will catch you. I will not let you slip through my arms.
Oh, jump. Don't think about it - don't ever doubt it.
There's no need to fear - I'm standing right here.
Jump!"

Today I'm still climbing
Reaching for my dreams.
And though I'm older now
There's still a child in me.
And I have these moments
Every now and then
It seems I'm all by myself
Stuck out on a limb.

But there's a Father up in heaven Who hears my cry.
And He tells me as His arms open wide,

"Jump, child I will catch you. I will not let you slip through my arms.
Oh, jump. Don't think about it - don't ever doubt it.
There's no need to fear - I'm standing right here.

Jump!"


Today I'm especially thankful for family and for the grace of God that surrounds us all.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

BLAH BLAH -- BLESSING

BLAH BLAH BLAH
My life has been a little hectic lately. It always seems I'm dealing with one deadline after another and I have a hard time getting in front of the wave. BLAH BLAH BLAH.

I know ... we all suffer from too much to do. And lately it's been getting on my nerves. Who knows why things have snowballed on me, but it's been making me grumpy and I haven't been able to bounce back as quickly. Blame it on the sinus headaches. Blame it on my ever advancing age. BLAH BLAH BLAH.


Anyway, Andy is coming home for awhile and he called yesterday to let us know and to ask us to buy the bus ticket. Although it's an inconvenience and an expense we weren't counting on, it's still an answer to prayer, so we're happy.

We started to buy the ticket online, but Andy needs to bring two bags with him and the second bag will be an extra $10.00 ... which he doesn't have and you can't purchase the extra baggage allowance online. Soooo I had to go down to the bus terminal this morning.

The conversation went something like this:
"I need to puchase a one way ticket from Colorado Springs to Denton." Blank stare. At first he insisted I can't do that but I convinced him I can -- I've done this before.

"Departure city?"
"Colorado Springs."
"Springs?"
"Yes, Colorado Springs."
"Springs."
"The name of the city is Colorado Springs."
"Okay .... one way ticket from Springfield, Colorado."
"No .... one way from Colorado Springs, Colorado!"

I won't go into the rest of the laborious transaction (they had to start over twice and go through the whole "your name is...? your address is ...? your telephone number is ...? the ticket is for...?" process three times before I finally got a ticket!!)

Then it took 10 plus attempts to reach Andy because of telephone problems on his end (it asked for a room number, but when I input the room number it would say I was recording a message). BLAH BLAH BLAH.

BLESSING


So after I got all this wrapped up, I went into the grocery store to pick up a few things and while I was getting some matchbooks (I love to cover matchbooks as a small give-away) a woman walked up to me and asked if I use Worcestershire Sauce.

Strange question! But I said yes.

She gave me two 50 cent off coupons and grabbed a couple of bottles of sauce to put in my basket. "They're free with the coupons because Kroger doubles coupons."

WOW! I thanked her and walked away with such a feeling of blessing. How kind of her to brighten my day! And it didn't cost her anything but her time and effort.

It made me realize -- again -- that it takes so little to cheer someone else. It doesn't have to be a coupon ... it can be a smile ... or letting someone else go before you in line ... or a kind word or helpful hand.

I'm thankful for the teensy blessing that cheered my whole day.

Bless YOU on this beautiful Thursday.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

NOT SO WEIRD SCIENCE


Billie (aka Oddly Sassy) told me about an article in the Fort Worth Star Telegram that was very interesting. I'm including some highlights below because I think they're important.

Breakthrough that can supercharge your menu (for no extra calories)
Finally, an answer to the supermarket-aisle question: Are organics worth the extra cost? A review of nearly 100 studies shows that the average levels of nearly a dozen nutrients are 25 percent higher in organic fruit, veggies and grains than in conventionally grown produce. In some studies, organic options had nearly 50 percent more of the antioxidants quercetin and beta-carotene.
Stay healthy: Buy organic produce when you can — it’s pricier, but you get more bang for your buck, says Kathleen Merrigan, Ph.D., assistant professor of nutrition at Tufts University. And that’s not counting the benefits that come from reducing the amount of pesticides that enter the groundwater — and your body. "You’ll really do your health good if you splurge on organic as much as possible in the produce aisle," she says. If you have to be selective, she adds, pick organic versions of the fruits and vegetables that tend to have the highest pesticide residues. For a list of the most contaminated produce — plus other buying tips — go to prevention.com/budgetorganic.

Breakthrough that can help you control hunger and lose weight
A kind of dietary fiber known as "resistant starch" is emerging as a new weight-loss powerhouse. A 2008 Swedish study found that people who ate a resistant starch at supper (in the form of barley bread) felt much less hungry than those who munched on plain white bread — and the hunger-quenching effect lasted past breakfast the next day. Found in beans, slightly green bananas and potatoes (white and sweet), among other foods, this kind of fiber "resists" being digested. Because the starch doesn’t enter your bloodstream, it stabilizes blood-sugar levels and may lower diabetes risk. It also boosts levels of healthful bacteria that nurture the immune system.
Stay healthy: Load up your diet with these indigestible carbohydrates, also found in brown rice and corn, says Leslie Bonci, a registered dietitian and author of the American Dietetic Association Guide to Better Digestion. Because the starch becomes resistant during cooling, serve these foods at room temperature or from the fridge — think three-bean salad or potato salad made with low-fat mayonnaise. You can find foods fortified with a resistant starch made from corn under the brand name Hi-maize (see our picks at prevention.com/starch). "If you’re eliminating carbs to watch your weight, you’re not doing yourself any favors," Bonci says. "Adding these starches is an easy way to control both hunger and blood sugar."

Then I ran across THIS info today:

According to the USDA the following foods had the highest level of pesticide contamination.

Nectarines – 97.3% of nectarines sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Celery – 94.5% of celery sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Pears – 94.4% of pears sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Peaches – 93.7% of peaches sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Apples – 91% of apples sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Cherries – 91% of cherries sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Strawberries – 90% of strawberries sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Imported Grapes – 86% of imported grapes (i.e. Chile) sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Spinach – 83.4% of spinach sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Potatoes – 79.3% of potatoes sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Bell Peppers – 68% of bell peppers sampled were found to contain pesticides.
Red Raspberries – 59% of red raspberries sampled were found to contain pesticides.

The following list of produce contains the least amount of pesticides.
Asparagus
Avocados
Bananas
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Corn (However, almost all corn is genetically modified)
Kiwi
Mangoes
Onions
Papaya
Pineapples
Sweet Peas


Makes you want to grow your own veggies, doesn't it? For those of you who don't know about square foot gardening, here's some basic info that might encourage you to start your own. This is what a 4 ft by 4 ft square-foot garden look like. You can grow sprawling veggies/melons/etc vertically on the back row of the garden.


This is from US News and World Report - Dec. 18, 2008:

Even klutzy, brown-thumbed apartment dwellers can cut their food bills, eat better, and reduce their carbon footprint. Just plant a "square-foot garden," says Mel Bartholomew, author of "All New Square Foot Gardening".

All it takes is some sort of wooden, plastic, or brick box or frame. (You may have to cut holes in the bottom for drainage.) Fill the frame with equal parts compost, peat moss, and vermiculite, available at home and garden stores.
Put the box in any yard, or place it on a patio, deck, or stoop that gets at least six hours of sunlight a day.
Bartholomew recommends laying a 1-foot-by-1-foot wooden or plastic grid over the box to organize the miniature garden. Then, it's just a matter of planting—16 radish seeds, say, or one prestarted tomato plant per 1-foot square. Attaching a nylon net to climbing plants (like cucumbers and beans) will help increase harvests, as the plants grow up and leave room for other plants in the other squares. Because the clean compost probably won't be weedy, the only ongoing chore is watering carefully for the five or six weeks until the first radishes or lettuce leaves are ready to eat. Once you've harvested everything out of a square, just replenish the soil with a handful of compost and plant something else.
Bartholomew estimates one 4-foot square box will produce one meal's worth of vegetables a day for one adult through the growing season—typically about five months. Anyone who's priced fresh organic vegetables lately knows that's a savings of at least $15 a week.
A recent paper by a Rutgers nutritionist and others found that gardeners—especially children—became so enthusiastic about their crops that they ate more vegetables and less junk food. In addition, gardeners get more and better vitamins, since store-bought produce is often so old that it is less nutritious.
Some square-foot gardeners are even selling their extra organic, local produce to raise a little cash. In this economy, cash might be the most welcome crop of all.

And here are some blogs that talk about square-foot gardening:






I've just started working on my plan for this years square-foot garden. Last year we had some problems. First off, I started it too late because I had been ill. Then the grasshoppers ate a lot of the good stuff and on top of everything was just too darned hot for some things. Even with all the problems, I got a good crop of tomatoes, beans and basil. I've got some plans for this year and I'm hopeful to be bringing in a really good harvest of other things we love -- like bell peppers, zucchini and cantaloupe. I may even create a second area just for corn, because Lord knows we love fresh corn at our house.
I'll post some pictures as it comes along. Wish me luck!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

I'VE BEEN TAGGED!

I've been tagged by Sump'n Sassy! Seven random, maybe weird things, huh?!?

(1) Although I'm a Texas girl to the very core, I worked in New York City for 1 year. It was a real culture shock and I was so wide-eyed and innocent that the people in my office -- and even strangers on the street -- felt they had to take care of me. Perhaps they thought I was a little slow!

(2) I laugh out loud (to the point of tears and almost wetting my pants) when I read Janet Evonovich's Stephanie Plum books -- no matter how many times I've read them, I still laugh uncontrollably.

(3) My favorite treat is a diet vanilla coke from Sonic. Don't know why it perks me up, but it's my very favorite be-nice-to-me thing to do.

(4) 99% of the time I wake up with a song in my head and I just sing my morning alive. This can be irritating to those around me. Sorry about that!

(5) Re: number (2) above, one of the great things about having a bad memory is that I can read a book for the fifth time and the plot still surprises me!

(6) I really, really hate TV commercials, (especially the Geiko Gecko and that Oxyclean guy), so I TIVO all my favorite shows so I can speed through the commercials ... but I will watch the goofy Sonic commercials. Haven't a clue why, but maybe it's related to number (3) above?

(7) For some reason, I never completely close drawers. It's not a conscious thing, but it's pretty consistent. Haven't a clue why I do it, but my precious DH comes behind me patiently closing drawers. Gotta luv him!

(8) DH suggested I add this one because I only know a few bloggers and Sump'n Sassy already took 2 of the people I would tag! So, number 8 -- it's weird that I don't know more bloggers yet.

Thanks big sister!