Driving to town yesterday I was happy to see daffodils poking up all along our back mountain roads. Maybe some crocus's too, couldn't tell for sure. We have had a lot of rain, should be good for spring planting. My pots with seeds are all sprouted, and growing nicely.
Have a kettle of split pea soup simmering for lunch, heavy with onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and of course herbs, Tossed in some cumin to add some smokiness to it, can hardly wait for lunch time.
So many of my friends and family are coping with lots of snow and ice and winter weather right now, and our weatherman has the audacity to suggest we are due for a major amount of snow the entire first week of March. So far this year, we have only had very small skiffs, just enough to close school as the buses can't safely run these twisty steep mountain roads.
However, it is approaching the time when we want the winter sludge cleaned off the windows, fresh air coming in and a nice clean smell to our homes. If you have 5 ingredients in your house, you can clean anything. These would be lemons or lemon juice, salt, white vinegar, tea tee oil and baking soda. In combination these can just about do anything. If you go back a ways you will find a wonderful mattress refresher made with home made fabric softener and soda, dry sprinkle over mattress and let set an hour or so, then vacuum. Lovely clean smell! Mix one part water to one part white vinegar, put in spray bottle and use for counter tops, sinks, even safe on granite, and it disinfects. Toilet bowl cleaners are very toxic, so pour a cup of vinegar, and a sprinkle of soda in toilet, let sit an hour and brush. Baking soda can be used to remove black marks from floors, to scour pots and pans, and if you add equal amount of salt, you have a great scouring powder. Tea tree oil is a disinfectant and a few drops added to your potions will kill germs. Swish out your garbage cans with a little soda and water, add some to your laundry to boost cleaning power.
If your oven needs a good cleaning try this instead of toxic oven cleaner:
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup washing soda,(laundry isle)
1 tablespoon liquid dish soap
hot water
few drops white vinegar.
Be sure oven is off and cool. Wipe off any surface debris. Combine first 3 ingredients and slowly add hot water til you have a thick but useable paste, add a few drops of vinegar. Spread on surfaces of oven, let sit overnight and wipe off.
Have you used tapinade in your cooking? I am guessing if you bought a jar in the store it would be pricy, but it is soooo easy to make. Its used as a garnish for soups, salads, meats, you name it and here is how to do:
1/2 cup green olives(seedless)
1/2 cup black olives(ditto)
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
sprinkle of black pepper.
Place in food processors and pulse, don't make it smooth, its meant to be chunky.
See, just saved a bundle. Another good recipe is for ranch dressing, avoiding all the icky stuff they use for preserving, check out their label to see for yourself.
1 cup buttermilk or greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayo
3 tablespoons of sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped chives
4 teaspoons white vinegar
1 clove chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt and a sprinkle of black pepper. Whisk all til smooth, keep in container in fridge. You can add other herbs, like parsley, or dill, and a splash of worchestershire sauce if you want a little more flavor.
Hope this finds you inside , warm and well, and hopefully not far from some lovely spring days. See you soon.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
WHY avoid GMOs, WHY are they so bad for you
GMO's are in the news constantly, and no wonder. We keep finding out more and more how bad they are for us and our children.Big companys like Monsanto, Kellogg, Pepsi, ConAgra, Coca cola, Dow, Bayer, Heinz Welchs, Smucker and many others do not want a bill passed that will allow labels to identify foods containg GMO's. What are they? The seeds planted are being treated with Round up to prevent weeds, and other weed and pest killers to make less work in the fields. But they infiltrate the seeds and grow into your food.
These GMO's cause health problems such as reproductive disorders, stomach lesions, especially from tomatos, they cause allergies, make you resistant to antibiotics, and cause prostate, colon and breast cancer. Altzheimers and diabetes are now linked to them also.
In your super market, dairy and meat rows are100 percent affected, cereals, cookies, ice cream, condiments, canned soup, and bread and crackers are all 80 percent or more affected. Produce is better, you can pick organic. Sure it costs more, but if it keeps you from dying a long, lingering, painful death over a period of many years, is it not worth it? Pasta, rice and beans are also fairly safe.
I have a first hand knowledge of these effects. My daughter was diagnosed with a blood disease when she was 5. We fought for 5 more years to get her better but did not succeed. The doctors told us her problems stemmed from chemicals used on fields around us growing crops. Watching a child bleed to death is not something I recommend. A few years ago, my husband developed a blood problem, and it is unknown what caused that, but maybe the same kind of thing. Since then I have become very aware of what we eat. I do not want to spend the end of my life in a vegetative state, with some one else caring for my every need. Its dehumanizing. And we do have some say in the matter.
If you plan a garden , watch the seeds you buy. Try and get ones from an heirloom company that does not treat the seeds.
For more information, the new issue of Mother Earth Living has a great article, and you can find tons of good info on these websites: Center for Food Safety,The Cornucopia Institute, Organic Consumers Association, Non GMO Project. Do a little research and get yourself in the loop.
A few less scary thoughts. Some great white foods to add to your diet are mushrooms, cauliflower, macadamia nuts, white beans and onions. Organic of course.
Skin need a spring lift? Try mixing1/2 cup of distilled water,2 teaspoons of vegetable glycerin, (can find this in the health and med sections of most stores,) and 5 drops of essential oil, lemon, grapefruit, rosemary etc. Your choice. Mix all together, apply with a cotton ball to clean face and let soak in.
Driving to town this week I saw some daffodils blooming, and the robins are coming back. Spring can't be too far away.
Started my seeds inside, they are all coming up. Will be good to get outside and work again. Turned out the thermogenic tea I made up works very well for warding off colds and flu, used all my herbs so know this next summer to save a whole lot more. If you have not tried it, it's mint, yarrow and elderberry flower mixed in equal parts, steeped a spoon ful per cup for 20 minutes, make 3 cups a day if you even think you have something coming on, and in two days it will disappear.
Lent has begun, hope you are looking forward to sunny, warmer days. take care of your health, its your most important asset. Til next time.
These GMO's cause health problems such as reproductive disorders, stomach lesions, especially from tomatos, they cause allergies, make you resistant to antibiotics, and cause prostate, colon and breast cancer. Altzheimers and diabetes are now linked to them also.
In your super market, dairy and meat rows are100 percent affected, cereals, cookies, ice cream, condiments, canned soup, and bread and crackers are all 80 percent or more affected. Produce is better, you can pick organic. Sure it costs more, but if it keeps you from dying a long, lingering, painful death over a period of many years, is it not worth it? Pasta, rice and beans are also fairly safe.
I have a first hand knowledge of these effects. My daughter was diagnosed with a blood disease when she was 5. We fought for 5 more years to get her better but did not succeed. The doctors told us her problems stemmed from chemicals used on fields around us growing crops. Watching a child bleed to death is not something I recommend. A few years ago, my husband developed a blood problem, and it is unknown what caused that, but maybe the same kind of thing. Since then I have become very aware of what we eat. I do not want to spend the end of my life in a vegetative state, with some one else caring for my every need. Its dehumanizing. And we do have some say in the matter.
If you plan a garden , watch the seeds you buy. Try and get ones from an heirloom company that does not treat the seeds.
For more information, the new issue of Mother Earth Living has a great article, and you can find tons of good info on these websites: Center for Food Safety,The Cornucopia Institute, Organic Consumers Association, Non GMO Project. Do a little research and get yourself in the loop.
A few less scary thoughts. Some great white foods to add to your diet are mushrooms, cauliflower, macadamia nuts, white beans and onions. Organic of course.
Skin need a spring lift? Try mixing1/2 cup of distilled water,2 teaspoons of vegetable glycerin, (can find this in the health and med sections of most stores,) and 5 drops of essential oil, lemon, grapefruit, rosemary etc. Your choice. Mix all together, apply with a cotton ball to clean face and let soak in.
Driving to town this week I saw some daffodils blooming, and the robins are coming back. Spring can't be too far away.
Started my seeds inside, they are all coming up. Will be good to get outside and work again. Turned out the thermogenic tea I made up works very well for warding off colds and flu, used all my herbs so know this next summer to save a whole lot more. If you have not tried it, it's mint, yarrow and elderberry flower mixed in equal parts, steeped a spoon ful per cup for 20 minutes, make 3 cups a day if you even think you have something coming on, and in two days it will disappear.
Lent has begun, hope you are looking forward to sunny, warmer days. take care of your health, its your most important asset. Til next time.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Living More Naturally: Birthday, Sinus Tea, Foaming Face Cleanser
Living More Naturally: Birthday, Sinus Tea, Foaming Face Cleanser: Long ago(ha) on February 8, in a galaxy far away called Texas, a baby boy was born in the midst of a snowstorm. Amarillo is in the panhan...
Birthday, Sinus Tea, Foaming Face Cleanser
Long ago(ha) on February 8, in a galaxy far away called Texas, a baby boy was born in the midst of a snowstorm. Amarillo is in the panhandle, and has some strange weather. From red dust storms to deep snow, enough to cover a car, it runs the gamut. When my first son was due, we had a huge snow storm . His dad was frantic and wanted to shovel the road from our home to the Air Base. However, being a wise child, he waited until the snow plows had cleared the roads.
One of the gifts he received was a pair of tiny white cowboy boots. I did so wish they made tiny jeans and cowboy shirts. Being inventive, I took a pair of dad's worn out jeans, cut part of a leg off and fashioned it into a tiny pair of jeans. A bit of white satin and some fringe became a cowboy shirt, Somewhere there is a picture of a barely over 6 pound baby, all dressed up like a tiny cowboy. Great memories. And now this young man is a writer, farmer, woodworker, foster dog parent, and active in his comunity and church. Time flies, can't believe I am a great grandma.
My travels to see family in Nebraska left me with a few assorted problems, frozen septic tank lines, heat pump doing something weird, and the car has a new wrinkle, the indicater on the ge ar shift is not working, though the shift itself does work. Means taking time to count changes and be sure its in the right gear. This car has strange periods, the electric system went out for a good 3 years, but came back, the windshield wipers quit for a couple of months then started up again, now this. I don't panic nowdays, figure whatever is ailing will mend, and if it doesn't. so what.
How are you doin? Staying healthy? Had any sinus woes this winter? Try going to your spice shelf and putting a tea egg full of thyme leaves to brew in a cup of boiling water, let it brew 10 minutes, and drink. Simple, but should help unblock the sinus cavities.
Is your skin dry from the winter weather? Try mixing 1/2 cup of oil, olive, safflower, jojoba etc, whatever you have, with 3 drops of essential lavender oil and open a vitamin E capsule and add. Keep by tub and put on after bath or shower.
If you would like to make your own foaming face cleanser, try this:
1/4 cup of liquid castile soap
1/4 cup of water
2 teaspoons almond or jojoba oil
2 teaspoons liquid glycerin
8 drops your fave essential oil
Blend all but soap in blender, add soap last. Put in pump bottle.
I started spring seeds for the garden last week, the arugula is already quite large, may be eating it before it ever gets planted outside. Nice to think in another month we will be doing some outside garden prep again. This winter has given us a more than ample amount of water in the soil, January had a period that left 7 inches of rain, and even today we are getting more rain. Twice this winter the copious amount of rain left our well with mud in it, and lovely red water to cope with. Learning to keep jugs of water stored now for the days we can't drink the well water. At least it doesn't happen often.
Super Bowl is over, football has ended. Soon baseball will be the sport of the moment. Spring is my favorite season, watching everything bloom and green up again, here on the mountain by early March the daffodils and forsythia are in bloom. There are already new calves in the fields.
Hope you are ready to spring clean, break out the vinegar and soda, leave the chemicals in the store, and freshen up your home for the new summer coming. Will be good to have fresh produce growing again.
Take care, stay well and look forward to spring.
One of the gifts he received was a pair of tiny white cowboy boots. I did so wish they made tiny jeans and cowboy shirts. Being inventive, I took a pair of dad's worn out jeans, cut part of a leg off and fashioned it into a tiny pair of jeans. A bit of white satin and some fringe became a cowboy shirt, Somewhere there is a picture of a barely over 6 pound baby, all dressed up like a tiny cowboy. Great memories. And now this young man is a writer, farmer, woodworker, foster dog parent, and active in his comunity and church. Time flies, can't believe I am a great grandma.
My travels to see family in Nebraska left me with a few assorted problems, frozen septic tank lines, heat pump doing something weird, and the car has a new wrinkle, the indicater on the ge ar shift is not working, though the shift itself does work. Means taking time to count changes and be sure its in the right gear. This car has strange periods, the electric system went out for a good 3 years, but came back, the windshield wipers quit for a couple of months then started up again, now this. I don't panic nowdays, figure whatever is ailing will mend, and if it doesn't. so what.
How are you doin? Staying healthy? Had any sinus woes this winter? Try going to your spice shelf and putting a tea egg full of thyme leaves to brew in a cup of boiling water, let it brew 10 minutes, and drink. Simple, but should help unblock the sinus cavities.
Is your skin dry from the winter weather? Try mixing 1/2 cup of oil, olive, safflower, jojoba etc, whatever you have, with 3 drops of essential lavender oil and open a vitamin E capsule and add. Keep by tub and put on after bath or shower.
If you would like to make your own foaming face cleanser, try this:
1/4 cup of liquid castile soap
1/4 cup of water
2 teaspoons almond or jojoba oil
2 teaspoons liquid glycerin
8 drops your fave essential oil
Blend all but soap in blender, add soap last. Put in pump bottle.
I started spring seeds for the garden last week, the arugula is already quite large, may be eating it before it ever gets planted outside. Nice to think in another month we will be doing some outside garden prep again. This winter has given us a more than ample amount of water in the soil, January had a period that left 7 inches of rain, and even today we are getting more rain. Twice this winter the copious amount of rain left our well with mud in it, and lovely red water to cope with. Learning to keep jugs of water stored now for the days we can't drink the well water. At least it doesn't happen often.
Super Bowl is over, football has ended. Soon baseball will be the sport of the moment. Spring is my favorite season, watching everything bloom and green up again, here on the mountain by early March the daffodils and forsythia are in bloom. There are already new calves in the fields.
Hope you are ready to spring clean, break out the vinegar and soda, leave the chemicals in the store, and freshen up your home for the new summer coming. Will be good to have fresh produce growing again.
Take care, stay well and look forward to spring.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
More Scary Stuff i Our Food
Watched Dr Oz Wednesday, January 30. Got me doing a lot of research on line, checking out things he pointed out. I am blown away with some of this, had no clue about a lot of it.
Let's begin. Again, they picked on pop and sports drinks, the citrus flavored ones. They contain a substance called BVO's, or bromulated vegetable oil. This substance has been banned in over 100 other countrys but not in the US. Why are we so behind? This is a carcinogenic substance that needs to be banned. If you want the scary info, try these websites for good information: http://www.ctvnews.ca, or http://naturalsociety.com. This stuff is used as a flame retardant in clothing, and is definetly not meant to be ingested. The good news is, Gatorade has decided to pull it and has added a different chemical to the drink instead, effective in a couple of months. Can't say a new chemical will be much better, but at least the company is making an effort to change a harmful product.
The next thing I learned is very strange. Foods that we like brown and crispy, and cook that way, are highly dangerous. Funny, these are natural foods, no additives, but we change them with our cooking methods. Two of the worst culprits are potato chips and fries. They change when cooked and contain acrylamides. The browner, the worse for you. Toast, cereal, potatoes we cook like hash browns and get crispy, the browner the worse. This one we can change. make your toast on a lighter setting, bake your fries and don't get them as dark, You can soak your potatoes in water before cooking for 1 hour and remove a lot of the starch. That's the culprit, starch that browns when cooked with high heat I think we can all adjust this one with no major problems. A good link to check this out is http://wwwfda.gov.food/foodsafety/foodcontaminates or http://www.foodnavigation.com. Both sites are full of worthwhile information, much better than I can shorten down for you. Just remember to cook things on slower, lower heat, getting them done but without turning them a dark color.
The third one is again, the BPA's. Lots of things are better than they were, baby bottles have been changed, and some food storage containers. You still have to read the labels for content. Cans of soup , tomatoes and other vegetables are bad. If you see a white lining in the can, its full of BPA. A person who eats one bowl of soup a week has a 100% higher level of BPA than those who avoid cans. Babys are born now with a high BPA and that causes early maturity in girls, heart desease, kidney damage and obesity. Instead of cans, look for frozen or products in pouches or jars. There are more of these than you might think, just start looking for them. Harvard has done some really scary studies you can pull up.
It's been a season of colds and flu, and the new norovirus is hitting a lot of folk. There seems to be a conection to El Nina years, each cold year is followed the next year by more viruses. The recipe for flu and cold tea I shared a while back has worked well for my family. You need it at the onset of symptoms. I am out of herbs, next year will grow a lot more and keep on hand.
I also have an easy ear drop recipe for you, to keep on hand for those problems. in a jar put 3 cloves of chopped garlic,1/4 cup mullein leaves, cover with olive oil and steep in sunny window for 3 days. Warm before use. Mountain Rose Herbs has this.
Hope you have found some good tips here, and are staying warm and well. It's nearly Feburary, which for us here in the south means another month and the daffodils and forsythia will be in bloom. Still might have some cold weather but its close to spring. Saw some baby calves last week on my way to town, hope they don't have much more cold to cope with.
Keep reading, and learning all you can, your health is worth protecting and if you let it slip away, you can't get it back. Til next time
Let's begin. Again, they picked on pop and sports drinks, the citrus flavored ones. They contain a substance called BVO's, or bromulated vegetable oil. This substance has been banned in over 100 other countrys but not in the US. Why are we so behind? This is a carcinogenic substance that needs to be banned. If you want the scary info, try these websites for good information: http://www.ctvnews.ca, or http://naturalsociety.com. This stuff is used as a flame retardant in clothing, and is definetly not meant to be ingested. The good news is, Gatorade has decided to pull it and has added a different chemical to the drink instead, effective in a couple of months. Can't say a new chemical will be much better, but at least the company is making an effort to change a harmful product.
The next thing I learned is very strange. Foods that we like brown and crispy, and cook that way, are highly dangerous. Funny, these are natural foods, no additives, but we change them with our cooking methods. Two of the worst culprits are potato chips and fries. They change when cooked and contain acrylamides. The browner, the worse for you. Toast, cereal, potatoes we cook like hash browns and get crispy, the browner the worse. This one we can change. make your toast on a lighter setting, bake your fries and don't get them as dark, You can soak your potatoes in water before cooking for 1 hour and remove a lot of the starch. That's the culprit, starch that browns when cooked with high heat I think we can all adjust this one with no major problems. A good link to check this out is http://wwwfda.gov.food/foodsafety/foodcontaminates or http://www.foodnavigation.com. Both sites are full of worthwhile information, much better than I can shorten down for you. Just remember to cook things on slower, lower heat, getting them done but without turning them a dark color.
The third one is again, the BPA's. Lots of things are better than they were, baby bottles have been changed, and some food storage containers. You still have to read the labels for content. Cans of soup , tomatoes and other vegetables are bad. If you see a white lining in the can, its full of BPA. A person who eats one bowl of soup a week has a 100% higher level of BPA than those who avoid cans. Babys are born now with a high BPA and that causes early maturity in girls, heart desease, kidney damage and obesity. Instead of cans, look for frozen or products in pouches or jars. There are more of these than you might think, just start looking for them. Harvard has done some really scary studies you can pull up.
It's been a season of colds and flu, and the new norovirus is hitting a lot of folk. There seems to be a conection to El Nina years, each cold year is followed the next year by more viruses. The recipe for flu and cold tea I shared a while back has worked well for my family. You need it at the onset of symptoms. I am out of herbs, next year will grow a lot more and keep on hand.
I also have an easy ear drop recipe for you, to keep on hand for those problems. in a jar put 3 cloves of chopped garlic,1/4 cup mullein leaves, cover with olive oil and steep in sunny window for 3 days. Warm before use. Mountain Rose Herbs has this.
Hope you have found some good tips here, and are staying warm and well. It's nearly Feburary, which for us here in the south means another month and the daffodils and forsythia will be in bloom. Still might have some cold weather but its close to spring. Saw some baby calves last week on my way to town, hope they don't have much more cold to cope with.
Keep reading, and learning all you can, your health is worth protecting and if you let it slip away, you can't get it back. Til next time
Friday, January 25, 2013
Welcome Home!
Yep, have been traveling again. My daughter from Illinois drove to TN on the tail of a windstorm, stayed over night and we headed back to Illinois, still driving in wind. Stayed at her home a few days, got to see both of her sons, and my grand daughter and her hubby and baby girl. Her hubby is a wounded warrior, waiting since November for surgery, in a lot of pain. Can not believe they have not scheduled surgery yet.
On a Sunday morning, we headed for MO. My Nebraska son met us in Columbia, and we started for his home. Got there by supper time, and I got to meet my new grand daughter, Sam. She is something else. At 2 months old, already liking to smile and chat, so had a great time getting to know her. My other grand daughter there is 3, and we enjoyed reading, puzzles, and just hanging out. It was a great visit, including Christmas. My 2 sisters dropped in for a visit too.
Return trip was thanks to my sis and her hubby who were on the way to Florida for a conference. and a great chance to visit on the way home, again stopping at my daughter in Illinois home overnight. Drove through KY, pretty state.
However, a slight revolt tookplace while I was gone. Found out real quick the plumbing was out of whack. Power auger didn't work so called a plumber. took three hours to thaw ice out of the septictank line. Insulation got wet so that is dryin out and he will come back next week and put a seal in one toilet, and align septic tank lines. We used a good share of my towels to sop up water thatwas running on my bathroom floor.My wonderful brother in law payed for repairs,going to pay him back. While plumber was under the house, he could hear heat pump, and told me the bearings were going out. Wonderful, more repairs.
If that were not enough, I got in my car yesterday and drove the 12 miles to town, to bank, post office and to get a much needed hair cut. Shortly down the road, I found the gear shift is not workin right, the indicator no longer moves.I think I had it in the right gear, but it made funny noises. will need to figure that out. My previously cracked windshield has also developed more cracks.Maybe there is message here, like, stay home and take care of stuff.Whatever, I am still glad to be back on the mountain, and my cat who was ably cared for by my son here,was glad after a month to see me. She kept me awake, the first night, sitting on top of me, giving me a licking. The second night was better and now she is sleeping curled up beside me, so we both get to sleep.
I can't leave without giving you a recipe I found,have given you a recipe for cream soup base, and if you use onion(powdered) soup in envelopes, you will love this one.
Onion Soup Mix
2/3 cup of dried organic onions
3 tablespoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
sprinkle of black pepper
Place all in container and shake well.
To use, add 4 tablespoons in place of an envelope of commercial dried onion soup.
Much healthier as you control all the ingredients.
Well, hoping by next week to have most of the home coming problems behind me, wishing you and yours a healthy, happy week. I also want to thank my kids for all their help, this trip would not have occured with out them. And my sis and brother in law too. Glad they are in Fla enjoying some sun, we are getting an ice storm today. Take care
On a Sunday morning, we headed for MO. My Nebraska son met us in Columbia, and we started for his home. Got there by supper time, and I got to meet my new grand daughter, Sam. She is something else. At 2 months old, already liking to smile and chat, so had a great time getting to know her. My other grand daughter there is 3, and we enjoyed reading, puzzles, and just hanging out. It was a great visit, including Christmas. My 2 sisters dropped in for a visit too.
Return trip was thanks to my sis and her hubby who were on the way to Florida for a conference. and a great chance to visit on the way home, again stopping at my daughter in Illinois home overnight. Drove through KY, pretty state.
However, a slight revolt tookplace while I was gone. Found out real quick the plumbing was out of whack. Power auger didn't work so called a plumber. took three hours to thaw ice out of the septictank line. Insulation got wet so that is dryin out and he will come back next week and put a seal in one toilet, and align septic tank lines. We used a good share of my towels to sop up water thatwas running on my bathroom floor.My wonderful brother in law payed for repairs,going to pay him back. While plumber was under the house, he could hear heat pump, and told me the bearings were going out. Wonderful, more repairs.
If that were not enough, I got in my car yesterday and drove the 12 miles to town, to bank, post office and to get a much needed hair cut. Shortly down the road, I found the gear shift is not workin right, the indicator no longer moves.I think I had it in the right gear, but it made funny noises. will need to figure that out. My previously cracked windshield has also developed more cracks.Maybe there is message here, like, stay home and take care of stuff.Whatever, I am still glad to be back on the mountain, and my cat who was ably cared for by my son here,was glad after a month to see me. She kept me awake, the first night, sitting on top of me, giving me a licking. The second night was better and now she is sleeping curled up beside me, so we both get to sleep.
I can't leave without giving you a recipe I found,have given you a recipe for cream soup base, and if you use onion(powdered) soup in envelopes, you will love this one.
Onion Soup Mix
2/3 cup of dried organic onions
3 tablespoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
sprinkle of black pepper
Place all in container and shake well.
To use, add 4 tablespoons in place of an envelope of commercial dried onion soup.
Much healthier as you control all the ingredients.
Well, hoping by next week to have most of the home coming problems behind me, wishing you and yours a healthy, happy week. I also want to thank my kids for all their help, this trip would not have occured with out them. And my sis and brother in law too. Glad they are in Fla enjoying some sun, we are getting an ice storm today. Take care
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Gratitude, Grief, and Prayers.
. Long ago when I was much younger and more energetic, our home was graced with a series of tiny foster babys. Most of them went on to be adopted. The mothers were young, 12 or 13 years most of the time. In those days, girls went to "visit" a relative and came back without a child.
One of our little ones was not well when she arrived. We kept her for a year. A year filled with trips to emergency rooms, wearing pillow splints, caring for eczema etc but she was such a little doll that when orders came to move on to another base, we decided to adopt her. The first few years went well, then she started bruising. We were sent via military aircraft to a wonderful hospital in Denver. Many sick children and returning wounded vets were all mixed together. We found out our babe had in laymens terms, aplastic anemia. This is the failure of the bone marrow to make platelets so she bled easily. I had been told she might live 6 months.
We moved into a country setting, grew our own fruits and veggies, had chickens, horses etc and gave her 5 years. This kind of lulled us into thinking she might survive. But when she was ten, we lost her. Like the parents in Conn. this last week, grief was overwhelming. I know first hand the horrid wrench of loosing a child, so symapthize deeply with those parents and families facing this Christmas without the joy on the faces of small ones whose gifts have been planned for months.
My life changed then, guess I really unraveled. But as it does, life went on. I had even prayed that God take me and let my baby survive, she had so many years of living to do, and I had been around longer.
God had given my the three best children in the world, and the little one we lost. All my kids have grown up to be kind, caring, loving adults. My one regret is that one of them does not keep in touch, and I miss hearing from him very much.
After life settled down, I remarried and had one more son. He is now the farthest away. And has a new daughter, his second. So I am packing up to travel the thousand miles to meet this new little girl. But this requires a lot of travel on the part of my wonderful kids. My daughter in Illnois will head this way in a few days, and the next day we head back to Illinois. There I will get to visit with 3 of my grandchildren and 2 of my great grandkids. Then on to Nebraska, part way across MO we will meet my son from Crete and I will go the rest of the way with him. I am so grateful to have kids that want to do this, its a great many miles, weather is always a concern, and safety. So many prayers are being sent out for safe travel.
Having Christmas with the 2 youngest grand daughters will be a treat. And the son here in TN is also invaluable, as he takes care of my companion and friend Miss Libby while I am gone. She is a 6 year old kitty from our local shelter and my constant friend. She knows I am packing and is very upset, knowing she will be alone except for feeding times.
How could any one be more blessed, I have the greatest kids, grand kids and great grandkids on earth, and I am thankful for every one of them.
I will not be forgetting the heavy hearts of others this year, and sadness will be taking up a small part of my heart, but God has a way of getting us through tough times. Let us all be grateful for the blessings we have in our lives, even if they seem few sometimes, we likely have more than we realize.
May your holidays be richly blessed, filled with family, songs, food and happiness. Take time to give thanks for homes, families, food, and most of all love, it's our greatest blessing of all.
One of our little ones was not well when she arrived. We kept her for a year. A year filled with trips to emergency rooms, wearing pillow splints, caring for eczema etc but she was such a little doll that when orders came to move on to another base, we decided to adopt her. The first few years went well, then she started bruising. We were sent via military aircraft to a wonderful hospital in Denver. Many sick children and returning wounded vets were all mixed together. We found out our babe had in laymens terms, aplastic anemia. This is the failure of the bone marrow to make platelets so she bled easily. I had been told she might live 6 months.
We moved into a country setting, grew our own fruits and veggies, had chickens, horses etc and gave her 5 years. This kind of lulled us into thinking she might survive. But when she was ten, we lost her. Like the parents in Conn. this last week, grief was overwhelming. I know first hand the horrid wrench of loosing a child, so symapthize deeply with those parents and families facing this Christmas without the joy on the faces of small ones whose gifts have been planned for months.
My life changed then, guess I really unraveled. But as it does, life went on. I had even prayed that God take me and let my baby survive, she had so many years of living to do, and I had been around longer.
God had given my the three best children in the world, and the little one we lost. All my kids have grown up to be kind, caring, loving adults. My one regret is that one of them does not keep in touch, and I miss hearing from him very much.
After life settled down, I remarried and had one more son. He is now the farthest away. And has a new daughter, his second. So I am packing up to travel the thousand miles to meet this new little girl. But this requires a lot of travel on the part of my wonderful kids. My daughter in Illnois will head this way in a few days, and the next day we head back to Illinois. There I will get to visit with 3 of my grandchildren and 2 of my great grandkids. Then on to Nebraska, part way across MO we will meet my son from Crete and I will go the rest of the way with him. I am so grateful to have kids that want to do this, its a great many miles, weather is always a concern, and safety. So many prayers are being sent out for safe travel.
Having Christmas with the 2 youngest grand daughters will be a treat. And the son here in TN is also invaluable, as he takes care of my companion and friend Miss Libby while I am gone. She is a 6 year old kitty from our local shelter and my constant friend. She knows I am packing and is very upset, knowing she will be alone except for feeding times.
How could any one be more blessed, I have the greatest kids, grand kids and great grandkids on earth, and I am thankful for every one of them.
I will not be forgetting the heavy hearts of others this year, and sadness will be taking up a small part of my heart, but God has a way of getting us through tough times. Let us all be grateful for the blessings we have in our lives, even if they seem few sometimes, we likely have more than we realize.
May your holidays be richly blessed, filled with family, songs, food and happiness. Take time to give thanks for homes, families, food, and most of all love, it's our greatest blessing of all.
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