Archive for March, 2012

Snow Aliens In March

(Awe, my baby boys first snow angel… or alien…)

It is a good thing we got out in winters first real batch of snow. Only a week later, since the snow storm, and most of it has melted!  This is the prairies so we could get more or we could end up with a warm wind that sweeps it all away.  Such a strangely warm winter this has been…

(I have fallen and I can’t get up!)

 Where I am living weather is a normal conversation to have with anyone and everyone.  Weather conversations can get very intense.  One specific thing I have started to notice was the difference between my friends out west (on the coast) and my friends here on the prairies.  Out west they assume they are entitled to snow-less winters and warm weather… out here we assume we will be punished for good weather, he he he…   I don’t know how many times I have heard, this year, ” We are going to get punished in July for this mild winter”! It makes me smile at our differences.

(Take picture of snow ball mama!)

 Now my kids and I have an advantage in that we are totally happy with a snowy winter so we don’t get down either way.  Kids don’t think about the future like adults do.  We often have an attitude of ‘if I think the worst I will not be disappointed’.  That attitude doesn’t usually turn out the way we think.  Generally we just become more grumpy personalities and in some ways always disappointed as everything is a chance to be negative.

Everything is a chance to not be negative too.  Kids are living now and so unconcerned with what may come that they are usually happy with any weather.  The attitude of ‘make the most of what ever it is’ seems to flow from children.  The more I relax as a mom, and go with their happy little way of looking at life, the better I am at mothering and the better I am at living in general.

(If life gives you snow, make snow soup!)

Baby Boy has been really into making snow angels this past week.  New discoveries are always so fun.  He calls them ‘snow aliens’ though… not sure where he got it from but I corrected him and he gave me a look as he corrected me in return… and I realized he knew exactly what he was saying.  I guess he isn’t as weirded out by the idea of aliens as I am, he he he.  “Such a pretty snow alien,” he smiles.

I want to be a woman of praise… living to praise Christ Jesus in all things and the least I can do is learn to praise him no matter the weather.  I am thankful for our dump of snow because of the fun the kids and I had in it.  If it hadn’t snowed my Baby Boy wouldn’t have discovered ‘snow alien making’ or my five year old wouldn’t have been able to make me ‘snow soup’.  My oldest two got to make their first, ever, snow forts and where so impressed with their abilities.  I got to watch it all, capture it all and treasure it in my heart.  Thank you Lord for working on my heart, strengthening it in you to be able to praise no matter… no matter the weather and with hope to learn praising no matter the circumstances.

TTFN

The Avocado

No aversions to avocados in this house.  The kids have had little choice but to figure out how to enjoy it, as I keep introducing it in many different ways… and they have to cope and eat because Mom likes it so much.  We have enjoyed my ‘light quacamoli’ for years but this year I found a FAST fresh little side salad, that is so pretty and appetizing, even the kids enjoy.

AVOCADOS IN OIL

  • Slice up one or two avocados and spread out on a nice big plate.
  • Drizzle extra virgin olive oil gracefully over the fruit.
  • Squeeze some fresh lime juice over your salad.
  • Sprinkle with cilantro (fresh or dried) and sea salt to taste.

I can eat this as a meal unto itself it is so tasty.  It sure went nicely with the ‘Black Bean Salsa’ soup we had for supper tonight (see picture below).

Enjoy and eat!

TTFN

Intimacy (Marriage Monday)

Sex with your spouse because more enjoyable when:

  • Both person’s are thinking of the other; the other’s desires, needs and just about them in general.
  • You accept men and women work differently and don’t judge but willingly  work with the, not always complimentary, way we each are.
  • You are free with one another, brave, able to try new and fresh things together.
  • You trust one another.  Trust is earned but is also given when you really love someone and want to build your faith in them.
  • You give MORE time for one another, not worrying about it being quality but quantity.
  • You are intimate more often; the more you have sex the better it gets.

First Monday of every month at Chrysalis

TTFN

Most Know What Kony2012 Is

Are enough of us aware that there are also people with other options that we can support, who have been working for these children for years? There are places we can get involved that put forgiveness and reconciliation on the table as active peaceful tools to fight with.
YEARS AGO I heard about Kony through a missionary group that was reaching out to his child soldiers and seeing results with the offer of forgiveness. I therefore feel compelled to share this link my husband found through a Christian brother’s page. There is always a peaceful option.

How is it that we are HURT so badly?

(Myself and my Dad Spring2011)

On the edge of tears, as though listening to a most excellent melody.. I think of the many folks that are near and so very dear to me.. My kin.. friends .. brothers and sisters in Christ.. because I feel so Very Very Blessed to have known each one of you and just now I  am catching a glimpse of just how much my Lord Jesus Christ loves you… Good Lord how He loves you!!

I see the bravery needed to love  because when we decide to love another person; we, to some extent, put ourselves at their mercy…. We become vulnerable.. When the enemy hurts us we are not surprised… but then when we are  betrayed by a brother it cuts us sharply, to the depths of our soul.

But to harden ourselves brings the loss of being able to experience love.  Therefore it is the wisdom of the Living Word that He was to say… Father … Forgive them… they just don’t understand.

I need, absolutely need, forgiveness and SO DO YOU!

Therefore: brethren be gracious to one another  forgiving one another as God, in Christ, has FORGIVEN  YOU! ABSOLUTELY and without reservation or caveat!!!

by Allan Munro on Monday, March 5, 2012 at 11:12am

The Chia Seed

Who knew that THE seed popularized by the infomercial sold ‘chia pet’ has so many health benefits and is a great addition to a persons diet?!

Well, someone filled me in so when I spotted it in bulk at a grocer I grabbed it.   Now the experimenting has begun as I find favorite ways to use it.  Garnet, my husband, is a seed and yogurt nut.  Between his hemp seeds and now his chia seeds on his daily dose of yogurt he is eating bird food!  I tease because he always said that was how I ate.  I am enjoying adding this lovely little seed to my weekly batch of bread.  The seed softens up nicely so it isn’t hard on the teeth to just add to your baking.  Apparently it is great on salads and soups too, will have to try that.  We enjoy just munching on it raw and at some point plan to make the porridge recipe listed on the bag.

So it is good for you… because of high calcium, protein, fiber and amino fatty acid 3.  There is probably more to learn about it and fill me in on what you know or what you have read about it.

Have a try and tell me what you think!

TTFN

Moose Jaw Treasures

 I enjoy finding treasures with character, and I found character in Moose Jaw INDEED.  Feel free to check out the link to my post on our girl’s weekend RIGHT HERE!

Yes the phone in the photo above works.  This candle stick corded phone is an original.  Something this special deserves to be used so I have it set up in the kitchen and have put the cordless phones in other locations.

Winter is a fact of life here so why not cozy up with style?!  I was going to buy the pink cup cake mittens but thought these owl ones where way more mature (wink).  I do so like owls!

 So not a huge hall from my last trip, but all very special.  Most of the items where found in a cute little collectible antique place that I will have to visit every time I return to that wonderful little city called Moose Jaw Saskatchewan.

Happy treasure hunting!

TTFN

On A Quiet Day

Rough start to the day, but these chocolate drop cookies, I had whipped up last night, where a slightly sweet invite back into the world of appetite.

The recipe is from my ‘Salem Church’ cookbook… a book that means so much to me personally (used to be my home church). Each recipe holds a name I usually recognition, a woman I know or knew of, this makes me smile and feel like they have shared them just with me… Never do the recipes taste as good, prepared by myself, as they did at the church functions, prepared by THE holder of the recipe…
It is a not much kind of day.  My littlest guy and I are in our pj’s and I am working on feeling better.  

Iron-man is keeping him company.  He is a big superhero fan and although we have cut down on most of the toys around here he sure enjoys the ones we kept.  His iron-man toy used to be his big brothers, but my bigger guy never was as into the whole superhero thing.   

So my boy and his toy have been doing everything together.  Morning cartoons, ‘iron-man armored up’ of course.  Breakfast was together.  They wanted oranges, yogurt and honey toast.  If I ask my little guy to come up stairs he has to fly iron-man the whole way, with sound effects and all.  Iron man has been really busy shooting the bad guys all over my house and I appreciate that, gotta clean out the riff raff.


You can’t find better company then a boy and his superhero.


Such a different time of my life this is.  I choose the do nothing days, slowing things down is up to me.  Used to be with babies and toddlers all around slow and not much was the normal kind of day.  Now the nothing days are the special days.


TTFN

Hit and Miss

  (When baby boy and I got up today we noticed it was CANADA outside!)

Snow has been hit and miss this year, so we where happy to see such an intense snow fall that it left drifts and stuck to the trees, windows and siding of the house.  No complaints here as we have been waiting for this.  It was beautiful and not actually too cold to be out.  We spent a good part of the day shoveling.

Took a lunch break from pushing snow and noticed a neighbor going out of his way to come over and do the street part of our walks with his snow blower!  Must get to know this neighbor, a thanks is in order as I am thankful!  Feeling very blessed.

Enjoy the photos, it is pretty isn’t it?!  Even if you are not a winter fan I think everyone can see the beauty in it.

TTFN

Spa Weekend

 Third annual girls weekend away.  
Second time going to Moose Jaw Saskatchewan 
and their ‘Temple Garden Mineral Spa’.  
First time EVER getting a massage.
 

 It was a weekend of relaxing and eating mostly.  Each evening we took in a movie right in our hotel room.  We soaked in the mineral waters and puttered around the hotel a great deal more then in the past.  Such a slow pace meant we even got naps in.

While we got in some shopping it is so often more about the food with Mirelle and I.  We find such pleasure in not just stopping in anywhere to eat or have a coffee break.  I think after this trip we have pretty much hit each of the special dining locations that Moose Jaw has to offer.  We went to the hotel’s restaurant twice as it was amazing!

(Our favorite dish at the hotel’s restaurant.  A crepe seafood dish.)

(My sister enjoying her breakfast and coffee at one of our favorite coffee shops.)
(One of the nicest places we have ever dined at was an art galleries cafe.)

This time around I really saw the appeal of a ‘spa weekend’.  Wondering around in your robes and slippers, getting massages and floating in the spa waters.  Having a coffee at the pool side starbucks cafe and snoozing through out the day.  Yeah this was actually a break!

 Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan MARCH 2012

TTFN