Check out Snopes...and BE NICE!

Really people. Surely, at some point, we've all said or sent something via this "wonderful" Internet that missed the mark. Maybe we hit forward instead of reply or visa versa. Maybe we didn't check our sources before forwarding something enthralling. The bottom line is the responses I've been seeing are, well, OUCH! I do think that there is room for correction but be nice. Letting someone know they sent something incorrect can be done between the two people. I love Snopes.com and other sites like it that allow you to simply connect a link to a nice reply e-mail. It says, " I thought you might find the following article from snopes.com interesting." All done--nice neat, no hurt feelings or nasty reproofs. Anyway, this is just my way of handling something frustrating to me. It is hard to watch people be unkind to each other. It is also hard to be on the receiving end of the correction. Learn lessons and be careful what you do and say but also learn lessons in loving each other.

Mother's Day Lilac!

Happy Mother's Day to me!

I have a Dwarf Korean Lilac! Isn't it pretty? It smells heavenly (or at least like a good smell that will most likely be in heaven.)

Before I was a Mom...

Before I was a Mom
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.
~Anon.

Masterpiece...

Masterpiece by Sandi Patty

This video can be viewed at:
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=616433ddfcb1ceca18f3

I love this song/video! I thought I'd share it with ya'll. I can't figure out how to get it into my blog itself. If someone knows how to do that--please share! I'm stumped.

Bloopers...

Today I was making lunch for a friend and our kids and was chattering along about my new knife. "I just love my new knife; it cuts through anything, blah blah blah-- C-H-O-P!" I will spare you the gorey details/picture (I did think about including one) but I cut the edge off of my thumb. Youch! She had to finish making lunch while I bandaged myself. It is now a throbbing member! I am very aware of how much I do use my left thumb. I discovered that I use it to undo the kid's carseats and to snap those impossible snaps on Caleb's sleepers. Argh. Please pray for quick healing and for better chopping skills. Did you know that bath water stings?

Myrtle

My Mom told me that this pretty bloomer I called ivy is myrtle! Isn't she pretty? This is a beautiful day. It is about 75 degrees. There is a gentle breeze. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the babies are sleeping, I'm having "me" time. Gorgeous! Happy Friday! God is good to me.

Stinky??

Here's a pic of my pretty front flower bed. Daffodils and tiny grape Hyacinths.

I was out raking leaves out of my flowerbeds yesterday and was periodically smelling something stinky. I thought maybe the neighbor's horrible cat had kills another of my birds---grrr! I looked all around (under the porch stairs, under the garden bench, etc.) but couldn't find anything. And then it occurred to me...it is our beautiful pear trees. They bloom white and pretty but stink like fishy rotting stuff. I guess it works for them--they do get pollinated after all! HA! Just a heads up for anyone thinking of planting them. They are Cleveland Pear trees and although beautiful (round tree shape, nice bloom, non-fruit bearing) they stink in the Spring. Big time!

Letting me win?

I love my Taste of Home Simple & Delicious magazine. It inspires me! They hide "Sandy's wand" in each issue. If you can find it, you put your name in a drawing for $50 of KitchenAide stuffs. I have never--I repeat never--found it un-aided. The same was true with my Mother's copies of Taste of Home Original with the toothpicks. Well, I was bopping along through the May/June issue that came today and there it was right in the middle of a Brisket 'n Bean Burrito--not even remotely disguised. I was excited (and yes, I've put my name in the drawing) but come on--don't make it that easy! I'm never happy, huh! HA! Anyhew, it reminded me to put in my latest creation...Fiesta Soup. My husband says he likes my regular chili better but oh well!
Fiesta Soup (or clean out the freezer soup)
1 lb. ground chicken/turkey
1 1/2 c. frozen corn
1 c. frozen peas
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 can chili beans
1/2 yellow onion
2 c. salsa (I used medium)
1 can water (I usually fill my bean can)
Cook in slow cooker for 2-3 hours on 250-275.
Pretty and yummy!

Deep thoughts on Mary Poppins.

Emma was deep in thought over Mary Poppins today. She has recently wanted to watch it over and over again.

This led me to the subject of this blog. There are a lot of things in that movie that I never really thought about until now. She'll never get them but all very interesting.

Votes for Women...a comical view. The mother, Winifred, is leading rallys in song--supposedly among women who are chaining themselves to the carriage wheels of the Prime Minister--but at the first sign of trouble she tells her maid to put away the banner, etc. because, "You know how the cause infuriates Mr. Banks." It's hilarious and yet makes me wonder if such women were playing the two faced game at that time! They probably were come to think of it.

Both Mary Poppins and Burt take major stabs at George Banks which he seems to catch but decide it is best to not argue about, since he is obviously in the wrong. Mary Poppins sarcastically points out that the children should "know the joys of bringing up a balanced book...a thousands little ciphers in a row. When gazing at a graph that shows the profits up, their little cups of joy should overflow." Snort--ha ha ha! Burt really lays it down when he says, "You've got to grind grind grind at that grindstone--though childhood slips like sand through a sieve. And all too soon they've up and grown and then they've flown and it's too late for you to give." Ouch...wow.

Thankfully, this story has a nice ending. The family is united in his putting his job in the proper priority spot--getting sacked! He does get his job back though--cuz he killed the old geezer off with laughter--so you don't have to worry about the family's security. So, let's go fly a kite!

Finally, I love Mary Poppins and her talking umbrella at the end. "Practically perfect people never allow sentiment to muddle their thinking." She does love those children but goes on to Nanny other needy cases in her unique musical and witty way.

It's all so sweet and sassy! It is a good thing that I'm enjoying this movie because Emma loves her "Poppy" and has watched it six times in the last three days. Darren starts it for her before realizing that I've just watched it. Thankfully, we're outside more now that the weather's nice. Although, we are singing cute versions of "Chim chiminy" --Chin chinnny--aaahhhh roooooooo! When I sing Supercalafra...she jumps around like she's doing a jig. I love the twos--well today I do anyway!

Gossip

My name is Gossip.
I have no respect for justice.
I maim without killing.
I break hearts and ruin lives.
I am cunning and malicious and gather strength with age.

The more I am quoted the more I am believed.
I flourish at every level of society.
My victims are helpless.
They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no name and no face.

To track me down is impossible.
The harder you try, the more elusive I become.
I am nobody's friend. Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never the same.
I topple governments and ruin marriages.
I ruin careers and cause sleepless nights, heartache and indigestion.
I spawn suspicion and generate grief.

I make innocent people cry in their pillows.
Even my name hisses.

I AM CALLED GOSSIP.

Author Unknown from Virtual Christian Magazine
____
Please pray for me--I'm having issues on both sides of this fence. Words are so powerful--negatively and positively. THINK before you speak.

Crayon Cakes...

Today I made some alterations to my "Super Baby Foods" recipe and created what I call Crayon Cakes. Okay, so they look a little like tarts but Crayon Tarts just doesn't sound as cute. I have been saving Emma's broken crayon bits for a while and peeling the paper off of them. I double lined my muffin tin with like colors. I put my oven on 225 but have discovered that different colors melt at different rates. Red, for instance took forever to melt down. Green, however, melted too much. I started with 5 minutes and went to 10. At that point I took them out because the book says they are flamable or something. I finished them in the microwave 10 sec. at a time. The book suggests mixing them with a toothpick. Mine didn't get that melty (except the green) and I like the chunky multi color look better. My only suggestion is to make sure they have melted enough to congeal and stick together. Emma loves them. Initially, she colored with them but now she likes carting them around in her purse and pretending with them in her kitchen. Whatever, it's creative play, right? These would be great for rubbings. Maybe we'll do that at a local cemetary sometime. I've got to get some big paper somewhere. Caleb tries to eat these--but thankfully he has no teeth and they are non toxic crayons! Not that I'm suggesting you let your creepers suck on these!

Dreams come true...

I was thinking that there are some funny things that I used to look forward to that are now realities. I always, even as a little girl, loved children. I would think about holding them and loving them. I remember thinking that I was going to teach my kiddos to love their Daddy. They'd tell him goodbye and he'd hear their cheerful hellos each day. As I took these pictures I realized that it is now a dream come true. I have two sweet boobahs and they say "Bye bye Daddy" each morning and screach with joy when he come home at night. How neat...and how blessed am I? VERY!

Bye bye Daddy!

Hey Mom I'm watching too!

Notice Emma's Easter shoes and jammies--the perfect duo!