Check them out

I have started 2 new blogs, have been writing away and published posts!

Easy Gluten Free

and

Wardrobe Awakening

Trends

Since our economy has imploded on itself and people aren't so confindent in their financial future, there are some things that revive, or even surge, through such times. I heard about a few of them yesterday and found it interesting. Here's the trends right now.

Thrift store shopping - Going to your local 2nd hand shop for clothing or home goods is on the surge. This is not a stranger to me. I love going to them. When you can find that pair of pants that fit perfectly and they still have the tags attached and they are a fraction of their original cost - that is a good feeling.

Going to the movies - This one is a bit of a mystery to me. I am pretty picky about going to see a movie when it comes out. I am not interested in paying to watch murder, deception, hypocrisy and infidelity for two or more hours. However, the theaters are coming out with some half way decent shows this summer. A reviving of going to the movies? Maybe that is because there is a reviving of movies worth seeing.

Hamburger Helper - What better way to stretch the dinner dollar than to get a box of this stuff. It started on the market in the 70's during those lean times. It is appealing since it is a fast way to make dinner. We have tried almost all the "helpers". Not being a fan of hot tuna fish, that variety was out for me. Ham, hamburger, chicken, tried them all. Now that we are on the GF mode, this is no longer an option in our house. Although, I can see where it would be revived right now.

Chocolate consumption - Some things never go out of the trend placement and this one doesn't surprise me at all. Eating chocolate gives you a good feeling. It is a pleasure. Nothing compares to it. Oh, and dark chocolate is the best. I don't even bother with white or milk anymore. My goodness, just talking about it makes me want to eat a piece.

So what trend are you relating to these days?

RC Action

The world of RC has come a long, long way since the 90's. This battery-run car is made by Traxxas and is called the Slash model. It is for off road car courses, backyards, and who else knows where. Sparkie likes to chase it, but he's house confined right now. He has a limp, and I don't want him running after it with sore tootsies.

It is a fun way to pass time on a beautiful, summer day!

Smacking snack

Food has so much variety. God really knew what He was doing when He was busy creating it for us (Genesis 1). We have crunchy to soft, sweet to bitter, creamy to whatever the opposite of creamy is. Foods can go from au natural to cooked beyond recognition. To some, food is an adventure! To others, it is a means of connecting with others. There are people making quite a good living eating the unheard of. I wonder who was the first to experiment with hot peppers?

I like hot stuff. Spicy is interesting! It wakes up your mouth. And when you get to the realm of hot that this product goes
you are just begging for a smack.

I don't know if you can read it or not but that jar says Habanero Salsa. Hot. And it isn't kidding when it is described as hot. There are some salsas out there that have disclaimers attached to them for their rediculously high Scoville levels, but I don't want that much of a smacking. Stores don't carry many, if any, hot salsas. Mild and medium don't do much except give some flavor. There are uses for them, for sure. But by no means can I say that they are chip and salsa worthy. You used to be able to buy this stuff at Hannaford, but they stopped stocking it. Then I found a jar at Sorrentino's, and never saw it there again. Then, a few days ago, I saw the whole line up of Mrs. Renfro's at Walmart. Score! You are so going into my shopping cart!

Last night, I pulled out the infamous jar and the bag of chips. I also grabbed some sliced swiss cheese. Parked myself on the couch and opened the jar. *Puht* The aroma of tomato and pepper rise into the air. OK - put it down carefully, like it's the alien blood that will melt through anything it touches... open the chips and take the first bite. Not so bad. Another. Yup, it's got some heat but is bearable. Another. Another. Another. Now I'm feeling it. 5 more. Oh man, it's starting to numb my tongue. 2 more. Ahhh! My nose is pouring! Where's the tissue box?!?!? My mouth is burning! Close the lid! I spilled a drop on my shirt... agh! Oh... Ah... My mouth is on fire! Give me some cheese! More cheese!!!

Now THAT is what I call salsa. Good times. I'll have to have some more later. Try it, if you want to be smacked!

Diversity

Hey! I have decided to start up some new blogs that are dedicated to specific topics. One has to do with fashion and one has to do with the GF life.

If you want to check them out, go to:
http://wardrobeawakening.blogspot.com
and
http://EasyGF.blogspot.com

Hope you like them as much as I am liking making them!
Peace.

Flip-flop flop

I haven't worn flip-flops in a really long time. I think they don't really dress the feet up enough and only look just right when you are hanging out at the beach or are headed for the pool.

As I have been bringing my wardrobe into the 21st century, I look at various resources for inspiration and ideas. It might come from a display at the store, or pictures in a magazine, or fashion web sites (I currently have 2 that I like to look at). The infamous flip-flop is being worn everywhere at every level of dress.

I finally decided to get a pair and chose the ones you see here. They were under $10 (great price) and I liked the cork (thought they'd help keep sweating down) and the cut out detail (makes them look feminine) and the fact that they were black. Well, if you ever take any advice from me about anything, take this: do not get the ones with the cut out detail. They are not sole friendly. You can feel all of the holes under your feet and that is a flop, in my humble opinion. Also, the two tone thing was a bad idea. Let's just say, your black outfit better have brown in it for them to look right.

So, of all the things I got, this is my biggest let down. But I will still wear them at a place where I don't have to walk around alot. Afterall, they are still shoes and I love options when it comes to shoes! Got any wardrobe let down stories?

Vacation goodness

We are officially half way through our vacation. It has been a fabulous five days so far! Traditionally, we have not been travelers when we have a week off from work. I don't see the point in tromping off to a strange place to scurry around and come back feeling exhausted while the giant pile of laundry awaits you and it's time to go back to work. My idea of vacation is . . . getting bored, feeling like you had plenty of sleep, and zoning out of the regular demands of life for a while.

My hubby and I have done some things on the first half of our 10 days, but they were all on our timing. For some reason, that makes a difference. Between now and Monday night, we'll go to the drive in theater, check out r/c car races, cook up some tasty food, go to the park. Take it easy. Take it slow. Get rested up. Clear our minds. And after our vacation goodness is done, we'll be ready to get back to the ol' grind. But until then, I remain, very happily, right here.

There is something God cannot do

Well. Some of you just switched me off. God is all-powerful! He can dance circles around anything that comes up. I know that! Let's see what the Word says.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 "Quench not the Spirit"

Here it is in the Amplified version: "Do not quench (supress or subdue) the Holy Spirit"

And even more visually expressed in Today's NIV: "Do not put out the Spirit's fire"

What does this have to do with us? Everything! God is above all things, but He has given us free will. We have the ability to supress Him. I think this is quite evident in many aspects of our society. He was declared dead in the 60's. He was "just alright" in the 70's. He was morphed over to cool in the 80's and awesome in the 90's. Is this the way one speaks of someone who is precious? Or is it a way to subdue Him?

I really like a good fire. I have made some doozies; one even warranted a stop over by a fireman to make sure everything was ok. When the flames are building and it starts heating things up a little too much, it is time to quench it down. All of our instincts (and experiences) tell us that we need to keep it under control or it will damage something.

So if this verse is admonishing us to not quench the Spirit, then logic tells us that we can quench Him. The work of His Spirit can be doused by our doubt and unbelief. It can be dampened by our fear and our need to control what is happening. Surrendering to the fire of God is...let's be real for a second...it's scary! It brings us out of our place of control but it produces purity. This is a good place to be. We'd be in the company of Moses, Elijah, Ezekiel, John, His ministers....

We must be mindful that fire is found in ungodly forms as well. The darts of the devil are described as firey. Profane offerings produce an unacceptible fire. The tongue of man is a firey world of iniquity. These are the fires that produce destruction. These are the fires that need quenching!

So, is there something God cannot do? Yes. He cannot, and will not, show up at a place where He is not wanted. Quenching Him, despising His word and scoffing those who are using the gifts they have been given by Him will stop Him in His tracks. I've heard it said that the Holy Spirit is a gentleman; He will not barge into a place where He is not invited. His fire is unlike any other. Let that be the fire that burns within!

A time to plant

Last Friday, my dad came over and helped me build a raised bed garden. This was their anniversary gift to us this year. I have to say, it is one of the best ideas for a gift that I have ever heard of!

We shopped for the wood and dirt, toiled in the sunshine to put it all together, placed it in it's spot and got the job done in about 2 hours. Amazing! I don't know where my father gets his stamina - I can hardly keep up with him.

So it was time to plant. I put in seed for stringless green beans, beets, carrots, and onions. I also planted 4" potted tomatoes (big boy and grape), lettuce, and green peppers. Everything you need for sauce and salad!

Sowing seed in May. It's a beautiful thing!

Fashion fun

A few weeks ago, I was realizing that I lost some weight and my pants were not fitting right anymore. It was going to happen. I had to go clothes shopping. Spring is a great time to revamp a wardrobe.

Clothes shopping hasn't been the most enjoyable experience for me over the years. I go to the stores and pick out stuff that catches my eye. Finding things I like isn't the hard part. It's finding something that fits or looks right on me that drives me nuts.

Have you ever watched the show "What Not To Wear"? I have watched it many times and I think some of what they have to say has begun to sink in. There really are clothes out there for everyone, you just have to know what to choose that is right for you.

The day came where I decided to start looking. My plan was that I would go to all sorts of stores...and I did...and still am... Fortunately, the first place I went gave me four pairs of pants that I really like. Hooray! The fashion journey has begun.

Isn't it cool when you kind of stumble across something that gives you focus and direction? This totally happened to me, of all places, in a garage waiting room while I was getting my tire plugged. A magazine had a 6-page article about how to dress up your regular look to a designer one. Needless to say, I ripped the pages out of the magazine and stuffed them in my purse for future reference! Believe me, it isn't that hard to do when you know what to do.

So, I still have a few minor things to find... like a tan blazer, some colorful neck scarves, a flesh colored pair of awesome looking shoes. Besides minor stuff like that, I have a working wardrobe that is making me feel good about how I look.

Where can you start? 1) Empty everything out of your closet. 2) Toss the unusable & give away the unused. Keep what you will actually wear - not what you might wear someday if you loose weight or if it comes back in style. 3) Get a plan as to what you want to wear. Check out styles first, look at magazines for looks that you like. Then start to shop to build on your fashion plan. 4) When you bring home something new, get rid of something old in your closet. That will control how much you accummulate. 5) Have some fashion fun!

Mom

There are so many things I can say about my mom. She is an amazing example of a fantastic woman, wife, mother, friend. I feel so blessed to be able to say that she is a part of my life. I could go on about what all of her attributes are, but I know I won't think of everything. All I can say to my Mom is "thank you" for so many things and "I love you so much".

I'm not the only one who has a great mom. But not everyone can say this. Mother's day is an emotional day. It is a celebration of a woman who gave you life. An appreciation of all she does for you. A day devoted to give back expressions of love. What do you do when that is over? A day like today becomes a reminder that mom is not just a phone call away.

What about those among us who have a troubled family? I know people who want nothing to do with celebrating mom because of abuse and hurt and anger. A day like today is a reminder of feeling left out of an enjoyment that so many can experience.

And then there are us "DINK"s. I am not a mom, in the literal sense of the definition. I have not given birth to any children. I do have a home and a family of my own. I don't have little ones making my breakfast or giving me gifts or presenting coupons to do the dishes for me.

I choose to not dwell in the things I am missing out on by comparing myself to others. I do give thanks for today; thanks for the goodness I have been granted. I can be glad to be who I am because of where I came from. And best of all, I can share who I am with everyone around me. Happy mother's day to every woman in whatever scenario you are in today. You are celebrated!

The Plan

I've been at a weird place. One that is unfamiliar. One that is uncomfortable. One that I would like to see changed. One that I am only partially able to control. Your thoughts can carry you away when there is change. How much more do we need to focus on the Word?! I keep coming around to a particular passage:

"Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am." Phil 4:11 The Message

Paul writes these words as he sat in jail in Rome awaiting his trial. He writes to those whom he led to Christ; the "holy people" who filled the church in Philippi. Paul had a calling to evangelize. The idea of being shackled in prison is not good for evangelism efforts. Or is it? Obviously, he had the focus to pen his many letters while in jail - the same ones that were deemed inspired and cannonized. Being imprisoned was not Paul's plan but it was used by God beyond Paul's wildest imaginations!

After a few months of having my plans changed up, and not necessarily liking it, my thoughts are brought back to the outline of the book of Philippians. Ch 1: Jesus is our Life. Ch 2: He is our Model. Ch 3: He is our Goal. Ch 4: He is our Sufficiency. The world cannot provide perfect peace in life, only the Prince of Peace can do that. So I surrender my plans to His watchful care and can continue knowing that I can make it through anything in Him who makes me who I am.