Thursday of this past week brought us some much needed rain. It was refreshing. It had been a few weeks since we had seen a good downpour. It's obvious that summer has arrived. Well, to me it feels like summer. Most people would probably say that the weather is still spring like but anytime it gets hotter than low 70's I consider it "summer weather". *Grin*
This week I am thankful for...
Prayer and the shelter and comfort that we have under Jesus arms. We had a difficult situation with a neighbor that happened a few weeks back. I won't go into all of the details here but I will just say that the dad that is involved concerns me. He seems like the type of person that could be violent at times and he did in fact voice some violence towards one of our pets and said some things that we took to be threatening towards our family the first time he came to our door. Our pets are our family too so for him to threaten one of them really hits a nerve with us. Of course it all happened at a time when I was sick and I don't handle stress well when I am already down like that. Needless to say the entire situation made me much sicker than I already was. I had to do a lot of praying after this man came pounding on my front door (and of course it happened when Bryan wasn't home to deal with the guy). I am so thankful that we can go to our Lord at any time and any place about anything and find comfort and peace there, even when this world does not always bring us peaceful situations.
On a different note, I am also very thankful for an abundance of snacks and food that Bryans dad brought by for us this weekend. Bryans dads wife works at a school and any time the school has a break (like a long weekend, spring or fall breaks, holidays, or when they get out for the summer months) she is able to take home whatever food is leftover in the cafeteria at that time. We never know what they might bring us but it is always a blessing when they do. This weekend we were blessed with......
lots of milk and some juice
a huge amount of snacks which the kids were thrilled over
potatoes! I had just run out and was planning to buy more this weekend too.
lots and lots of apples!
Prayer Requests for the week...
Please pray with us over the above situation. While we personally are not at fault and we know that, the law is even on our side, I don't like any conflict with neighbors period. We have always gotten along great with all of our neighbors in the past, and do so with our current ones here, but this is one family in our current neighborhood that we just haven't gotten to know in the past three years that we have lived here. While it would be our desire to keep the peace if at all possible, we also do not want to turn into victims here and let this man walk all over us because of what happened a few weeks ago. I don't believe that would be God's desire either. Pray that if it is possible we could keep the peace with these people though we are fully aware that that is impossible to do with some people. Please pray for wisdom for us as we deal with them. As I said, I don't trust this man and I honestly don't want him on our property because of the things he said about our dog and the false accusations he made on his first visit to our door. Please pray if you would that this man would not come back to our door. I just don't want to have to deal with him at all if Bryan is not here. He has Bryans cell phone number so he should be able to just call Bryan if he needs too and Bryan made clear the last time they spoke that that was what he needed to do.
While I would prefer to live my life in peace if at all possible, and I have a personality that hates conflict (to the point of it making me physically ill at times), difficult situations with other people such as we have encountered recently with our neighbor always remind me of the sinful world that we live in. I believe that is why God allows us to experience them. I'm not talking about just my neighbors sin but my own, too. Of course I want to focus on his own sinful nature- his hatred and the violence within his attitude yet I will openly admit to having thoughts towards this man during these past few weeks that would in no way be considered righteous or good. Do I have a right to be angry with him for the way he treated us? Yes, I do. I believe God agrees that anger is ok. How do I handle it, though? That really is the key. To go on for several weeks thinking about ill things that I might say to him if he were to ever come to our door again, is not healthy and in fact, sinful on my part. This whole situation has just reminded me of my great need for God's grace and forgiveness myself. It's a fine line sometimes in not allowing people to walk over you or hurt you (if you have any control over it) and keeping yourself from acting in a way that is just as sinful as the other person. It seems to me that that is one of the on-going battles we face while living in this world.
In the kitchen:
I had some very ripe bananas this past week that I needed to use for something. Camden loves bananas so it's not that often that we end up with overly ripe ones that I need to bake something with. I tried a new cookie recipe and really liked it. It was a hit with half of our family and the other half didn't like it. Camden, Emmy, and I loved them. Houston said they were just ok. Natalie, Ally, Annie, and Bryan didn't like them. I like that they are healthier than most cookies.
Healthy Banana Cookies:
Ingredients
* 3 ripe bananas
* 2 cups rolled oats
* 1 cup dates, pitted and chopped (I used 1/2 cup wheat germ and 1/2 cup flaxseed and a couple handfuls of miniature chocolate chips)
* 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Stir in oats, dates, oil, and vanilla. Mix well, and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly brown.
I didn't have dates on hand and our kids don't like dates anyways so I replaced the dates with a few other ingredients listed above. I like to add flaxseed into my breads and cookies for the added fiber that it gives. The original recipe called for vegetable oil but I alway use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes because it is healthier than the vegetable. You could always add other nuts or raisins too. I just added the chocolate chips because I knew it would help the kids like them more.
The cookies held together really well.
Another favorite recipe we did this past week was this Italian Quiche. I have a crustless cheese quiche that I have been making on a regular basis for years now but I rarely do quiches with crusts on them so this was something new for the kiddos. Everyone single one of us loved this recipe. It's definitely a keeper in our home.
Ingredients
* 2 unbaked pastry shells (9 inches)- homemade or favorite store bought
* 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
* 4 cups (16 ounces) finely shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (I did a mix of Sharp Cheddar cheese and Mozzarella)
* 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
* 1 medium green pepper, thinly sliced
* 1 medium sweet red pepper, thinly sliced
* 6 eggs
* 2 cups milk
* 1 teaspoon minced onion
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
* Line unpricked pastry shells with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 400° for 4 minutes. Remove foil; bake 4 minutes longer.
* In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Spoon sausage into pastry shells; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Top with onion and peppers. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and garlic. Pour over peppers; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
* Cover and freeze one quiche for up to 3 months. Cover edges of remaining quiche loosely with foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
* To use frozen quiche: Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Cover edges of crust loosely with foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 2 quiches (6 servings each).
What I have been watching...
Two of my very favorite movies of all time are on "play instantly" on netflix right now. I spent some time Saturday afternoon curled up with them while Bryan and the kids were in Talladega. They just don't make movies like these anymore.
Speaking of movies.....
This Weeks Top Ten List...
10 of my favorite classic movies in order.
1) An Affair to Remember (1957) with Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant
2) Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy
3) Walk, Don't Run with Cary Grant (this was Cary Grants very last movie that he made)
4) The Long, Long Trailer (1953) with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz
5) Singing in the Rain (1952) with Gene Kelley and Donald O' Connor
6) Casablanca (1942) with Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart
7) Christmas in Connecticut (1945) with Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan and Sydney Greenstreet
8) White Christmas (1954) with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney
9) Road to Rio (1947) with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby
10) My Fair Lady (1964) with Audrey Hepburn
Do you like Classic movies? If so, are any of these your favorites too? I tend to like any movies that have Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Cary Grant, Gene Kelley, Audrey Hepburn, or Bing Crosby in them.
My Life With Fibro...
This week I thought I would share about the tender points that people with Fibromyalgia have. I have had people say to me so many times "my muscles ache sometimes, maybe I have Fibro". The thing is, everyone experiences muscle aches and pains at times, especially as we grow older. The difference in normal muscle aches and pains and what you experience with Fibro lies within the tender points. A tender point test is actually one of the ways that a specialist can confirm a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia. So what are tender points?
Fibromyalgia Tender Points:
One of the unique aspects of fibromyalgia is the presence of tender points in specific locations on the body. When these points are pressed, people with fibromyalgia feel pain, while people without the condition only feel pressure. This illustration shows 18 possible tender points. To be diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a patient must be sensitive in 11 or more of these areas.
What are tender points?
Tender points are pain points or localized areas of tenderness around joints, but not the joints themselves. These tender points hurt when pressed with a finger.
Tender points are often not deep areas of pain. Instead, they are superficial areas seemingly under the surface of the skin, such as the area over the elbow or shoulder.
Are tender points large areas of pain?
No. The actual size of the point of most tenderness is usually very small, about the size of a penny. These areas are much more sensitive than other nearby areas. In fact, pressure on one of the tender points with a finger will cause pain that makes the person flinch or pull back. Tender points are scattered over the neck, back, chest, elbows, hips, buttocks, and knees.
What causes tender points?
The cause of these pressure points is not known. Even though it would seem these areas might be inflamed, researchers have not found particular signs of inflammation when examining the tissue. What is known is that the locations of tender points are not random. They occur in predictable places on the body. That means many people with fibromyalgia experience similar symptoms with tender points.
Around the House...
I am almost caught up on laundry. I am itching to move so that we can get a garden going even though we will be starting it late in the year. I've been working on our menu for June and making out a grocery list as I do so. I will be finishing it up this week as my big grocery shopping trip for the month is this coming weekend.
Random Trivia/Fun Fact for the week...
Did you know that Cary Grant, thanks mainly to the strength and physical dexterity he gained as an acrobat when he was young, did a majority of his own stunts during his film career (far more than people would think)?
Did you know that Cary Grant turned down the role of Professor Henry Higgins in ‘My Fair Lady’ (1964) because he felt he would either not be as good as Rex Harrison, who had originated the part on the London stage and on Broadway, or he would be accused of imitating Harrison? As much as I LOVE Cary Grant, I would agree with that. Seems he was wise when it came to his profession too.
Did you know that Cary Grant and Charlton Heston attended a dinner at 10 Downing Street honoring the then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, whom they both greatly admired. Afterward Heston said to his wife Lydia, “You know I sat next to Mrs Thatcher.” She replied, “That’s nothing – I got to sit next to Cary Grant!” LOL!
Favorite Quote of the week...
"Just as a little thread of gold running through a fabric, brightens the whole garment, so women’s work at home, while only the doing of little things, is like the golden gleam of sunlight that runs through and brightens all the fabric of civilization." ~Laura Ingalls Wilder
This Weeks Blast From The Past...
I love doing my Blast From the Past posts but it seems that I have so much to blog about that I can never fit it all into one week. I am never able to share even half of what I desire too here on our blog, so I thought it would be easier to include my Blasts from the Pasts into my diary posts. So here is this weeks Blast From the Past........
I thought this photo was fitting for Memorial Day. This is my granny with her brother my Uncle Ray from Oklahoma. This was right after my Uncle Ray returned from the war. He is holding my mom and the older girl is my moms older sister, my Aunt Brenda. I really love old black and white family photos. My grandmother gave me a large box of them not long before Bryan and I moved to Alabama. We used to spend hours looking through her boxes of photos and her telling me the story behind each one when I would go over to visit her. I really cherish them and look through them often.
Some of my favorite things about this past week...
This past weekend began the first camp for Student Life, Bryans work. That meant that Bryan spent a lot of time out at Shocco Springs in Talladega, Alabama this past week getting everything set up computer wise for the camps. He had to head out on Sunday and spend Sunday and Monday night at Shocco. Emmy and Houston went with him and helped him get everything set up. They got to eat all three meals in the kitchen on campus and when they were not helping Bryan out they just hung around Shocco Springs. The campus is a beautiful place! They always enjoy helping out their dad and getting involved with his work. I am thankful they had the opportunity to do so.
A favorite photo from this past week...
Have a great week, friends!
~Jen
