Life’s Too Short. . .

. . . to drink bad coffee.

. . . to tolerate bad behavior.

. . . to not watch the clouds roll by.

. . . to hold grudges.

. . . to not dance in the rain.

. . . to drink cheap beer.

Life is too short to have low expectations.

AMDG

Peas please!

Back in January, we were either a little ahead of the game or very optimistic. 

Several months later, we're eating good!

AMDG

Thankful Thursday (17)

This week I am thankful for. . .

Family – This past weekend we put in our vegetable garden.  My in-laws used to put in a large garden when Himself was growing up, but haven’t done so in the last few years.  I think my father-in-law really misses it as he volunteered to help us put ours in.  What could have been a very long, difficult job was done in just a few hours.

Good weather – It’s been sunny and comfortable around here lately and about to get a bit warmer.  Bring on that summer weather!

Days off from work – We didn’t do anything involved or extravagant, just a walk in the park and lunch at a local tavern yesterday, but what a sweet way to spend the day with my honey!

Homemade bread – FIL has been hinting about getting a loaf of homemade rye bread.  So, Saturday before they came over I mixed up a loaf and baked it while they were here.  It smelled so good, so Tuesday I made a load for us.  Oh my goodness, it was great!  A definite keeper recipe.

AMDG

I didn’t know their names

This morning I ran down to get a snack at the little lunch counter that’s in the building where I work.  On the front of the deli case was taped the picture of this young man along with a printout of this story.  I was wondering why, and unfortunately, would soon find out.  I read the story and didn’t recognize any of the names mentioned in it. 

From the somber look of the face of young gal working today, I knew it was bad. 

The other lady that works here? 

Yes.  It was her son. 

I didn’t know her name.  I didn’t put it all together. 

His mom, Paula, should have been behind the counter working this morning.  Instead she is planning a funeral.

I looked at the young gal working.  I talk to her often.  She’s a delightful young lady who is an extremely talented artist.  She’s planning on attending a local university in the fall to further hone her drawing and painting skills. 

And you?  I asked her.

Her name is Daisy.

AMDG

Funny Foto - #3

This is along the highway I take home from work everyday.  Can't you just picture some drunk calling?

Hi occifer!  I saw your sign so I thought I'd give you a buzz.  Oh, wait!  I'm the one with the buzz.  Ha! ha!

Time Marches On

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future

Holy cow!  I look at the calendar and am amazed that it is the end of May already.  Where has this month gone?  I had such big plans for May; so much to do and such great weather.

I ordered my mulch and had it delivered a couple of three weeks ago with the intention of having it done by the end of the month.  Unless the mulch fairies show up, that isn’t going to happen.

We wanted to take a short weekend getaway and have a blogger meet-up.  Maybe next month??

I finally got the material for the new living room curtains and wanted to have those sewn and hung up.  Really?

It seems the BIG plans took a back seat to a whole lot of little things.  I did quite a bit of weeding, baked bread often, took more picture than I have been. 

We watched the neighbors’ dog Lucy while they attended the funeral of Kim’s mom and visited with relatives that came in from out of town for the services.  Lucy is a good dog, though a bit of a handful and high maintenance.

We prepped the land for the new vegetable garden.  We listened to the birds sing while we drank our morning coffee. 

We had a morning visit from this creature whom we named Sunny.

And several visits from this guy and a couple of his friends.

I sat on the patio and watched a terrific lightening show roll on in and rejoiced in the rain that followed.

So what if the mulch isn’t done.  We enjoyed the little things.

AMDG

April showers . . .

. . . brought May flowers!

We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.

Blessed Mother Theresa



 

AMDG

Support groups???

Hi!  My name is Jack and I am a kleptomaniac.

Hi Jack!

It started when I was just a puppy.  My humans were doing yard work so I ran off.  When I finally came home, running through the mud and the muck, they had this shocked look on their faces, staring at what I was carrying in my mouth.  They thought I killed a baby raccoon or bunny.  It was just some other dog’s toy that I liked.  So I took it.  To this day they don't know from where I snitched it and I'll never tell. 

My cousin dog, Hershey, has a few good toys.  When we went to visit last time, I took her puppy.  Hershey’s old, she’ll never miss it.

My next door neighbor, Lucy, has really great stuffies.  I went over there yesterday for a visit and left with my fourth toy from her this spring.  It’s an unstuffed bunny.  She’ll never miss it!  Himself tried to return it, but I snatched it back from Lucy’s human and she just laughed.  She thinks I’m adorable!

My female human just looks at me and shakes her head.  She thinks I need help.  I don’t think so, do you?

AMDG

Great oats, Batman!

A while back I was looking for breakfast ideas and someone suggested steel cut oats. (was it you JB?)  Several months later I finally tried them and, I've got to say, am hooked.  They are so, so much better than rolled oats and I can make them ahead and just reheat as needed.

If you haven't already, give them a try.   They're Grrrrreat!  (wrong cereal, but oh well!)

AMDG

A good read – Bake and Be Blessed

We have been trying to change what and how we eat, and, as part of that, I have been baking bread from scratch each week.   I have a terrific whole wheat recipe that I make frequently, but was ready for something new.

I remembered a show I use to watch on PBS, Breaking Bread with Father Dominic, and did a little research to see if the show was still on.  Unfortunately, it is not, but Fr. Dominic has a series of books based on the show.  While checking those out of the library I came across his Bake and be Blessed.  Only a few pages into it I knew I had to have my own copy.  It’s one of those books I read with a pencil at hand, underlining his thoughts that strike me as important. 

He relates different steps in bread making to different components of our spiritual life.  Mixing the dough, letting it rise, punching it down and baking the loaves can be seen as metaphors praying, meditation, carrying our crosses, and growing in God’s love. 

I find the bread making process very satisfying, more so than cooking or baking other things.  In reading this book I think I finally found the reasons why.

Bread baking is a not cure all of modern society's ills, but it can be a means by which, on a given day, we reintegrate our fragmented selves by engaging mind, body, emotions and spirit in an intentional act of creativity.

PS.  I couldn’t find a copy of this on where I normally buy my books, so I ordered from his Abbey’s  website.  The book arrived quickly and with a little surprise – it was autographed!

AMDG