Nuttnhoney

Throughout my blog I refer to "Kim" and her website named, "nuttnhoney". By linking over to "nuttnhoney.net" you have had the opportunity to go to her homemaking "coffeeandamuffin" blogspot, and her other blog, "The Occasional Stamper". A short while ago, Kim shut down her stamping blog and as of this morning, "coffeeandamuffin" is gone. If you never got over there, you missed something. And, I will among others, miss her blogging. But, like everyone else I wish her the best in everything she is now pursuing. God's best to you, Kim! :-)

Now, if you are so inclined you can still go to her website. She will leave that open until, June 30th. I highly recommend you stop by and spend some time there. Great gardening, meal planning, bulk cooking, frugal living tips and recipes are available there. And, if you are a rubber stamping, card making fan........ you really should look at her galleries and tutorials. They are AMAZING!

I will leave the link to her website on my list of blog links until, June 30th.

Cute Chick is smart cookie!

This is Isabella.... we all call her, Belle. She is my granddaughter. When her mom was growing up she had a friend named, Jessie. Jessie has always been very smart, very pretty, very talented and loved to perform. That is exactly was this little chickie is like. Smart, pretty, talented and loves the limelight. She shines in it!

These pictures are from her musical/play that was performed at the end of this school year. As if this weren't enough of a performance... the real performance was her day to day diligence throughout the school year. She won the music and gym award for the year. And, it did not stop there. Next year, Belle is going to be involved in the gifted and talented program. She was on the Principal's Honor Roll. None of us were shocked... but oh my are we ever so proud! More Nana pride? You'd better believe it!!

I am so very proud of all of my grandchildren... aren't we all? But just for today I wanted to honor, Belle. Congratulations!!! Belly Boop!

You know though...... I was wondering if the musical next year could be with a Caribbean theme. Perhaps then, Belle could be a Flamingo. Wouldn't the pink be nice on this blog?? :-)

Thanks for being you, Belle!

How busy is too, busy?

The feeling of being hurried is not usually the result of living a full life and having no time. It is on the contrary born of a vague fear that we are wasting our life. When we do not do the one thing we ought to do, we have no time for anything else- we are the busiest people in the world. Eric Hoffer

I don't often draw from the quotes of scholars and philosophers, but the quotes you read in this post both express my heart and line up with scriptural principles.

There was much work to do in our yard this spring. Hard work!... and a lot of it. With the exception of putting in a few day lilies, planting a few veggie seeds, and spreading a little mulch, we are done. It has been a toilsome few weeks, but oh so very worth it. Now, it is on to finishing some remodeling inside. That should be a 4-6 week adventure. The physical labor may not be as hard as the out of doors work, but it will be time consuming. In addition to the everyday cooking and cleaning, swimming three times a week, maintaining family and friend relationships, and all of the other everyday activities, things around here have been "busy". Too busy! Why "too" busy? Because the one thing that is the most important to me has been pushed to the side, pushed back, "scheduled" in and taken off the "schedule", and for the most part simply let go. And that, is unacceptable!

Spending time alone with the Lord is so very important. I am not talking about reading a verse of Scripture or a little devotion out of a devotional, and then saying something like... "Thank you for today. Help me get through it and I wish we had more time together but You know how much I have to get done. Love You, Lord." And then go on about the day. I am talking about the kind of time you spend with someone that you love. You get some tea, grab your Bible, a notebook and sit down to really share what is on your heart and then listen for His words to you. Read where ever it is in the Word that you are reading that day and let the Father speak to you through His written Word, too. Relaxed and relational. Unhurried conversation. Excited expectation to hear what He has to say to you. Starting your day by giving the Lord the first fruit of it. Receiving that mercy that is new every morning.

For the last few weeks, I have felt pressured to get to this blog. I was allowing my time with the Lord to slip and if that was going, the blogging was not happening. So, since I knew the blog was something I wanted to, and felt led to do, and my time with the Lord is so precious to me and they were both slipping....... I had to ask myself where or what the problem was. The answer seemed so simple and I was a little surprised that I did not see it right away. The cards.

Card making is a hobby for me. Let's stop a minute and just define "hobby".

: a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation Webster; current.

Any favorite object; that which a person pursues with zeal or delight. Noah Webster, 1828.

For relaxation! Some time ago I decided to down size my craft closet. I have loved paper and color (crayons, paint, ink, etc.) since I can remember. I've always had a desire to make cards. When I discovered rubber stamps, craft ink pads with such an array of color and texture, water color pencils, chalk and designer paper, I'd found my niche. It was easy to unload the craft closet and start investing in card making supplies. In the past I've had a plethora of crafts going on. I am so very content with just making cards. They are so relaxing for me and give me a way to express myself to others. Though shared with others, it really is a very personal thing. It gives me a time and reason to pray for those I am making a card for. It is better than therapy could ever be. It takes me into myself and it gives me a place to also express myself. It's quiet and has so much meaning... even the funny and zany cards are so good for me. And, when I get feedback from people that are blessed by the love sent in my cards, ....suffice it to say the blessing is double for me to know I was able to do a little something that touched another person.

However, the card making has become the very antithesis of what it was meant for. (i.e., peace, enjoyment, creativity, expression, and relaxation... serious stress relief sometimes) A little over a week ago, I considered boxing my card making supplies up (that would be a lot of boxes) and ship them to my grand daughter. That was when reality set in. It was not the card making that was a problem.... It was what I had allowed it to become.

I first became acquainted with blogging because I had put in a Google search for ideas on card making. That is when I found Kim's website. She has gallery after gallery on that website. It is incredible. Kept me going for quite a while. Like over a year. :-) From there I found Split Coast Stampers.... and on and on it went from there. So, the mother and bulk of my blogging experience has been card making blogs. So, once I started blogging I jumped in doing "challenges". Some I posted, some not. Some I tried variations of, some I stuck to. Only a few of the cards I've made since this blog began have been posted. I began feeling pressure to make my cards better, to make them more like everyone else... practice.... strive to do better... practice... strive to do more. What a nightmare of a roller coaster! I began to really dislike it, but I was compelled to press in and do more... do better...... That is not a HOBBY!! That is compulsive behavior that could easily be categorized as addictive and counter productive. I don't want my cards to look like everyone else. I will get better as I make them. But, better means expressing my style and in a relaxed way. Card making is to be an extension of me, an asset to my life. NOT!!! control my waking ours and become my life. I have put my card making back into proper perspective and it is now mine again to enjoy. Oh, and just so you know... the last several cards I made were awful and so hard to make. They were an extension of me alright, an uptight mess! The zeal and delight were gone! So, this is no longer a blog that features cards. Will I ever post a card I make? I suppose I might. But, that will never again be a driving force for this blog.

Driving force??? So why blog? Well I have to say, this whole nightmare roller coaster thing is my own fault. I rarely begin any project or adventure in my life anymore, without giving it adequate forethought. And, if the situation calls for it... and sometimes if it does not... I don't start things without a mission statement... written down. I had some ideas of what this blog would be about, but I never firmed those ideas up, and I never wrote a mission statement down for this blog. You'd think if I was going to start putting things I have to say out there, I'd have a purpose. Well, I did... and I do. I am in the process of writing that mission statement down. I may never post it, but I will give you a little idea of what it will contain. I actually did state why I started this blog in a previous post. If you don't want to go back to that link, here is the conclusion sentence in a nutshell:

So, the blog was birthed out of a desire to share any good thing the Lord gives me, with others. i.e. my cards, what the Lord is teaching me, good recipes, nutritional tips, happy events.. etc.

While the card making is not going to be a driving force, perhaps just an occasional accent to the blog, there are other things I did want this to be about. Yes, good recipes and nutritional tips. Yes, happy events. Yes, even gardening and household things. But mostly, the goodness of God and what He is doing in my life. I want a place to express all of those things. And this blog is a really wonderful place to do all of that.















And, I am not shutting down this blog. I am going to share those things I set out to share. I hope you enjoy it.

When are we too busy? Like Eric Hoffer said, when we neglect that which we are placed here to do. My addition to that is, when what we do is a bondage and not a joy. I find that when I am doing what it is I am to do, I am joyful. When I'm not... I feel captive. Let freedom RING!

Just about the time I had this all put back into perspective, one of my girls sent me the pictures of her daughters above. One picture was of the grand daughter on the piano, and the one of that cute little number in the pink hat at the top of this post. The piano picture made me realize how important it is to do that which we love. And the pink hat cutie (please take a moment here and scroll up to take another peek at that beautiful child) reminded me how important it is to live without stress and be ourselves... be free. That little girl does that better than anyone I know. Oh Lord, never let that change in her.

I have three projects that the Lord has laid on my heart. I am thoroughly enjoying all three of them. One is a short and easy little thing... should be done in a day or two. The other two are entwined together and could really be considered one project with two sections, I suppose. Anyway, not combining card making and blogging has opened so much time for me to be about these wonderful adventures the Lord has offered me. Oh, and there is another project that is really long term and requires day by day diligence. I am LOVING working on that one.

With things back in their proper place and with myself focused, I am enjoying life again. Please stop by.... things are gonna get good around here in my little piece of the blogosphere.

First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.
Epictetus

2 Cute!!

One of my grand daughters is turning two soon. Thought I'd slip this card in. She is a cutie, too! Yep, more Nana pride!


Happy Birthday!



Bethany Karis!

What a wonderful way to brighten my day!

I have been so busy trying to do home improvements and work on a writing project that I would love to see come to completion, that blogging has not been an option for me time wise the last few days. But, a few minutes ago my doorbell rang and time stood still. My daughter Melissa, sent me the most beautiful bouquet of flowers to give my Mother's Day an early start. Melissa is the butterfly of all my children. She is colorful, bright, she flits and floats and has since she began crawling. Her nickname is, Sunshine. That really needs no explanation. The flowers are beautiful (notice the pink.. whoo hoo!!) and have truly brightened my week. Thank you, Sunshine!

Mother's Day. What a beautiful idea. On the second Sunday of May, America honors her moms. The idea however was founded in, England. During the eighteenth century many people worked as servants for the affluent. One Sunday every year, these servants were allowed to have the day off and go home to visit their "mums". This day was called, "Mothering Sunday". When the technology of the Industrial Revolution came about in the the late 1700's and early 1800's, - the introduction of machines replacing humans in the work force, the socioeconomic and cultural practices of the people of Britain changed drastically. The ushering in of new technology ushered out the observance of, "Mothering Sunday". Britain would adopt Mother's Day later in the 1900's.

However, it was a woman named Anna Jarvis, from West Virginia, USA, that would resurrect just such a day. Anna's mother was a faithful and supportive Pastor's wife. She made a lovely home for the family and, Anna learned so much from her mother. Her mother loved gardening. Anna learned much about life tending a flower garden filled with mostly white Carnations in her mother's garden with her. Her mother loved flowers and these were her favorite. When her mother died May 5, 1905, Anna vowed to find a way to honor her. She asked her minister to dedicate a sermon that Sunday to her mother's life. The minister in a church in Philadelphia, where her father had served, honored all mother's in his sermon that Sunday. Anna began sending letters to Washington to get a day set aside to honor mothers. In 1910, the governor of West Virginia declared the second Sunday of May to be, "Mother's Day". The following year the other states followed suit. By 1915, "Mother's Day" was a national holiday in the United States. And, flowers are STILL a big part of that day! And for that, today, I am oh so very thankful. :-)

Oh, I love it that the whole beautiful thought of "Mother's Day", originated in England!

I thought I might insert a few pictures here.
My daughter, Melissa! Melissa and I with her older daughter.













Me, with Melissa's younger daughter. The time honored practice of honoring momma's goes on!

Super Sketch Sunday Challenge #12

Yesterday, when I was blogging about my love for lemons, an idea popped into my head about Amy's SSS #12. The card pictured here is that very idea. I have a friend that has three daughters and a son. Her daughters are my daughter's ages, and they grew up together. Her youngest daughter just recently went through something painful. I've been trying to come up with a card idea to make so that I could send it to her. This was a two for one sort of thing. Amy's sketch was just what I needed.

This young lady is Christian and truly knows where her help comes from. She is a real trooper. Even in the hardest moments she knows God will not let her down, and that she can completely count on Him. Though she did not need me to tell her this, on the inside of the card (along with a personal note), I wrote out Nehemiah 8:10b, "...the joy of the Lord is your strength". Since joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and a lemon is a fruit, I thought this card came together pretty well. :-)

Oh by the way, her son is a Ranger in the Army and is scheduled to go to Iraq this year. I thought I would stop here for just a second and pay honor to him. Thank you, Jon. This might be a good time to insert a little something I saw for the first time two days ago.

Stamps: Lemon stamp, Kolette Hall “Joy” stamp
CS: Linen Limeade, Lasting Impressions Banana Cream Dots, White & Yellow
Designer Paper: Doodlebug Design Lovely Lime Stripes & Obviously Orange asterisks
Inks: Color Box Chalk Tangerine
Chalk: SU Yoyo Yellow & Glorious Green
Markers: SU Yoyo Yellow, Tombo 195 Green, Marvy LePlume II #4 Green
This & that: Wavy-Edge “Cloud” & “Half Circle” scissors, Small Flower Brads, Non-SU Blending Brush, SU Dazzling Diamonds

Gotta go do life...blessings!

Whole lotta Lemon goin' on.

I just want to know who it is that came up with wallpaper. I have never put the stuff up but I have spent days taking it down. If when a marriage is being torn at, the vows would stick like the glue does on the back of wallpaper... the fiber of this country would be in such better shape. I have used the professional products and a number of good home concoctions to remove the paper, paper backing and glue. Short of being almost violently aggressive, the stuff does not come off. I have seen pretty wallpaper, certainly. There have been era’s in history that the wall covering defined its era. But, I will NEVER put the stuff up I don’t care how beautiful it is. There are flaws on the walls behind this gluey mess. It seems to me that patching the holes and cracks, and sanding the irregularities would be cost and time effective, rather than fighting with this stuff. And anyway, I'm not really a print or pattern kind of girl. I like the calming effect of very subtle colors and the simplicity of solid in my home. So, it's not a sacrifice for me to have paint rather than paper. It really would not matter though, did I mention that I will never hang wallpaper in my home??

A friend of ours Joe, and his wife, have had a very successful painting and wallpaper business since the early 80's. Last week, Joe came over and took measurements and assessed the condition of the walls. Oh, did I mention there is some early 70's brown paneling in the house? That has to go right along with the wallpaper. So, last night he came over and gave us a bid on what it would take to do the walls on the first floor. It was more than I anticipated, but it is not horrible. He does great work and I can trust him in my home. That feature is priceless. So sometime in the near future, Baxter and I will head out to my daughter's house in Oklahoma and visit and then I will go down to Texas and see my daughter that lives there. I could be here, but Baxter and remodeling somehow just don't seem to go together. I thought I might slip a picture of Baxter, in here.


And, I'm long over due to see my family in, Texas. That would be the one pictured in an earlier post with the upcoming stamping queen. The one in Oklahoma, is the family I just saw in Chattanooga while they were traveling back from, Florida.

So... since Joe was coming, I made a pie. I LOVE this pie. Lemon Meringue is my favorite with Rhubarb running a close second and Pecan and Peach tying for a solid third. This one is much simpler than Lemon Meringue and perfect for warmer days. The pie is pictured above and here is the recipe.

Lemonade Pie:

1 graham cracker pie crust
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 6-ounce can of frozen lemonade concentrate
1 medium size (8 ounce) container of Cool Whip, thawed

Beat together condensed milk and lemonade; fold in Cool Whip. Pour into pie crust. Freeze for at least 3-4 hours until firm.

That is the recipe as I got it. I have a few things I do that are not listed. First of all, I really am not nuts about the pre-made graham cracker crusts. So, here is what I do.

My Crust:
1 1/2 cups crushed Nilla Wafers (I grind them to a fine consistency)
5 Tablespoons melted real butter

Mix these together and press into a 9" pie plate. Let completely chill, then fill.

Also, I buy a 12 ounce can of frozen lemonade concentrate and use about 10 ounces. And, I let it firm up over night. It just slices and serves better.

And if you like, you can spread a layer of raspberry or strawberry jam on the bottom before putting in the lemon mixture. This pie is ssoooo easy and it always goes over really well. Oh, my grandsons made this pie when they were four. I honestly did nothing but provide the ingredients and tell them when what went where. (They used the pre-made graham cracker crusts.)

I enjoy the scent of lemon in the house, I like to clean with it, bathe in it, drink it, eat it, wear it... I think you get it. I like lemon! Those of you that are over 35 probably remember Love’s Baby Soft Cologne. But, does anyone remember Love’s Fresh Lemon Cologne? Yumm!!! I wore that for years many moons ago. Do they even make that anymore? And let’s not forget to mention that although Pink has always been my absolute favorite color, Lemon Yellow is the happiest and friendliest color on the planet. Hummm... there is Pink Lemonade... a beautiful thing!!

Seafood and fish are my favorite proteins... and guess what is wonderful squeezed all over those? I am a tea drinker. Guess what is great squeezed in there? Lemon juice is great to make salad dressings. Guess what I use to perk my drinking water up??? The rind, flesh and juice of a lemon can be used for culinary purposes. Lemon is the happiest of scents and flavors.

Lemons are rich in vitamin C, potassium an magnesium. They are a decent source of fiber. The oil in lemon juice helps to give relief to those suffering from rheumatism. This oil stimulates the liver to rid the body of toxins that aggravate that condition. A mixture of lemon juice, hot water and honey have been successful in treating colds and constipation. Lemon juice is a good choice to treat diarrhea and dehydration because of the amount of potassium and other minerals it contains. Squeeze lemon into water before grabbing commercial electrolyte products that are so high in sodium.

Because of the bleaching property of lemons, they can be used to remove stains. Because they are so high in vitamin C, they have the ability to prevent oxidation and so the juice of a lemon can be applied over cut fruit or white vegetables to keep them from turning brown.

Buy lemons that are firm and heavy for their size. A lemon's rind begins to get pale when it is becoming too ripe. They can be stored for weeks at room temperature, and a month in your fridge.

You know, I've had no stamping time this week and I have four cards to make. I think I have a lemon stamp around here somewhere. I think I just had an idea for Amy's, Super Sketch Sunday card for this week.

And then, it's off to stain the deck and trash corral.

Blessings....