Ringing in the New Year with a BANG!

This is my favorite traditional food for New Years Eve?

It is of Dutch descent.

Do you have a childhood favorite recipe?

oliebollen

1 pkg yeast

1/4 cup warm water

4 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 t. salt

1 3/4 cups warm milk

1/4 cup melted shortening

2 eggs (well beaten)

1/2 lbs. seedless raisins (~1 1/4 cups)

Confectioners powdered sugar or

Cinnamon sugar

Soften yeast in warm water.

Sift flour, sugar and salt together.

Blend milk and shortening. Add yeast, 2 well beaten eggs, and raisins. Add this mixture to flour

mixture and beat thoroughly (add more flour if dough is too sticky).

Set aside to double in a warm place.

Drop by teaspoonful into 375 degree, deep oil for 3-4 minutes. (Golden brown and test first few for done

in middle.)

Dust with confectioners powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar.

Yield - 3 1/2 dozen

The Basic Bible in English says, "And he said to me, My grace is enough for you, for my power is made complete in what is feeble. Most gladly, then, will I take pride in my feeble body, so that the power of Christ may be on me." Hoping all my Fellow Fibro Fighters (and all those who are suffering in any way) are feeling the strong arms of God wrapping 'round them in their feebleness and lifting them up with His power.

"Love at Last Sight" by Chris and Kerry Shook

When I first started reading the book, I thought it was a book designed to bring married couples closer. Soon, however, I could see that this book was not only for married couples, but for everyone. Anyone who has or hopes to have a relationship with another human being can benefit from this book. Its daily exercises are meant to bring people into more meaningful relationships with one another. This book explains how to improve the way you treat others by having you think about how you feel when others treat you the way that you treat them. Pretty clever I'd say.

One of my favorite lines in the book is "Wherever you are, be all there." In other words when you are spending time with someone you care about, you should try to make them feel as if they are the most important thing in the world to you. And at that moment they should be. You should put all other things out of your mind and truly focus on the other person and and listen to what they are saying.

The addition of the daily challenge helps to keep the reader engaged in the topic. It creates opportunities for in depth, life altering habits to take hold in the reader without them even realizing it. "Love at First Sight" changed the way I will try to treat people from now on. Who wouldn't want their most important relationships to improve with every meeting? With some work the outcome will be a win, win situation for all involved.

NESCAFÉ TASTER'S CHOICE - The Smart Choice

Went to the eye doctor yesterday. It had been almost 5 years since I was there last. I thought it had only been 3. Whoops. Know time flies and all that,

but

come on. Anyway, my astigmatism in my right eye has gotten 5X worse since my last visit. Only twice as bad in my left. I will be going for glasses today. I never feel "pretty" in any of the styles, but yesterday , my daughter, upon hearing I needed glasses, replied, "Well at least you look good in glasses." Never expected that! She is going to help me pick the "right" ones.

For my Fellow Fibro Fighters, I found this to be a very good article for sharing with others (spouse, children, friends, co-workers, etc) to help them understand why we can't do what we'd like to all the time and why we have to say no to certain things even if we would love to say yes. http://chronicfatigue.abou

t.com/od/copingwithfmscfs/a/pacing101.htm?p=1

My two youngest made a batch of peppermint chocolate pinwheel cookies last week. Yum. I made chocolate chip cookie dough and my #3 son is baking them. Yum-again. We end up eating half the batch and saving the other 1/2 for gifts and Christmas day.

I just made myself a cup of Taster's Choice instant coffee. It is delicious, I say with surprise. Instant coffee is not high on my list, but I got free samples and WOW it is actually good and so convenient on mornings when I just don't feel like making a pot of coffee. NESCAFÉ TASTER'S CHOICE - The Smart Choice

Life with JESUS is better

Looking for a great way to spread the the Gospel?

www.songear.com

This site has great products for getting people to ask you about your faith.

Wear them and that gives YOU the opportunity to share the Gospel. :D

And they donate 10% of their profits to The International Justice Mission to help fight against human trafficking. How great is that??

Christian T Shirts for Women

JCLU FOREVER- translated = Jesus Christ Loves You Forever!!

http://jcluforever.com

This is a company that supplies t-shirts that are made by three girls who are out to change the world, one t-shirt at time.

These girls LOVE JESUS!!

Their shirt are for girls who LOVE JESUS

and want to share that with the world.

JCLU t-shirts have statements of faith on them that are aimed to be used as tools for evangelism.

This company hopes to "To carry out the will of God through evangelism and the support of other ministries!"

Let the world know that YOU know JESUS LOVES YOU. and He loves them too.

Can be found on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/jcluforever?v=wall

Do you know a Fibro Fighter?

I am a Fibro Fighter. I fight Fibromyalgia every day of my life.

24/7 ~ 365 days a year.

It is not fun.

It stinks.

http://www.fibrofix.com/Symptoms.html

♪Monday Monday, so good to me,♪♫
♫Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be♫♪

What are your hopes for this Monday?

My to do list seems to get longer everyday.

Of course with Bob working on finishing up his last month at "work" and trying to do as much as he can during the rest of the time, to prepare for the season of change, things are less than typical.

Are you familiar with the song "Turn you eyes upon Jesus"?

I just started singing it last week and it has been on my mind quite frequently since then.

Someone else posted a reference to it in one of my groups on Facebook.

Do you think God is trying to tell me something?

1. O soul, are you weary and troubled?
   No light in the darkness you see?
   There’s light for a look at the Savior,
   And life more abundant and free!
   • Refrain:
     Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
     Look full in His wonderful face,
     And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
     In the light of His glory and grace.
2. Through death into life everlasting
   He passed, and we follow Him there;
   O’er us sin no more hath dominion—
   For more than conquerors we are!
3. His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
   Believe Him, and all will be well:
   Then go to a world that is dying,
   His perfect salvation to tell!*
4. I am trying to KEEP my eyes upon JESUS!
5. *Helen H. Lemmel, 1922
6. http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Turn_Your_Eyes_upon_Jesus/midi/

I don't know about you , but I think the worst is yet to come.

With the economy I mean.

Obama's bailouts and recovery strategies are just too superficial. They don't get to the real problem of overspending that has been going on in the country for way to long.

Have you seen this Wall Street Journal article? http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/us/politics/05states.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a2

My husband has worked for a major player in the insurance industry for over 16 years.

He lost his job on December 1st.

What do you think? I'd love to hear your opinion.

guess what?

SNOW!!!

As this year draws to a close

Hardly believe it is December already.

Happy Hanakkah to those who celebrate.

I have always loved that holiday since I was a child.

I had several Jewish friends as a child. I didn't know the meaning behind the tradition then...just that they got presents for 8 days and we only got them on Christmas. I enjoyed going to Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and dancing Hava Nagila with friends. But now that I am older and have studied about the Feast of Dedication or the Festival of Lights, I think it is a wonderful tradition.

After regaining the Temple, it was cleansed by the Maccabees, cleared of all Greek idolatry, and readied for rededicated. The rededication of the Temple to the Lord took place in the year 165 BC, on the 25th day of the Hebrew month called Kislev.

So Hanukkah received its name, the Feast of Dedication, because it celebrates the Maccabees' victory over Greek oppression and the rededication of the temple. But Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights, and this is because immediately following the miraculous deliverance, God provided another miracle of provision.

In the Temple, the eternal flame of God was to be lit at all time as a symbol of God's presence. But according to tradition, when the Temple was rededicated, there was only enough oil left in the temple to burn the flame for one day. The rest of the oil had been defiled by the Greeks during their invasion, and it would take a week for new oil to be processed and purified. But at the rededication, the Maccabees went ahead and lit the eternal flame with the remaining supply of oil, and God's Holy presence caused it to burn miraculously for eight days, until the new sacred oil was ready.

It's been a rough week. My husband lost his job on December 1st.

Another casualty of the Obama administration and their direct hit on the insurance industry. He has been with the company since 1994.

This will undoubtedly change our life drastically.

We have two children in college and two who hope to someday go to college.

But I have faith that God will take care of us.

I rest in the peace that passes all understanding.

Today is dress rehearsal for my daughter's dance recital. This is her 9th year of dance.

What started as a mom "do" has turned into a mom "sit and watch". Only one of many ways of seeing, the growth and maturation of a daughter.

My oldest, 19 will be graduating with a fine arts certificate before heading on to a 4 year college.

He will tell you the best thing home schooling taught him, was how to find information and learn on your own, because that is what you do in college.

My youngest, 13, was a late reader. After all the phonics books we went through, I was getting discouraged, but kept telling myself that God was in control and he would learn when God was ready. My husband is a computer nerd/geek and so are all the kids. At about 10 I started telling my son to "look it up" when he asked me a question. He's been searching and reading ever since.

Student Motivation

I am teaching 2 teens at the moment. One just turned 13 last week. That makes 4 teens for me right now.

The 19 & 18 both graduated a year early and have been attending a community college.

Funny how some kids just need the "you need to get this done before you go into the next grade" type of scenario to motivate them, while others, it seems you could threaten (or alternately promise) just about anything on earth and they will still look at you like you are crazy if you think they are going to do as you ask.

I've had two of each. LOL

What has helped me get through?

LOTS of prayer, good friends to listen to my, let's say...whining? complaining?...nooo...concerns?...nooo...DILEMA (yes that would sum it up). Those whose kids were much younger, had plenty of advice, on how they would handle things. Those who had been there had less. Now those that had given the advice (that I tried in vain) are asking me how I got through it.

I know this is not what you want to hear, but it really does depend on each child. The circumstances they are going through in their lives, how they feel about themselves, you, their friends,

homeschooling in general. Even what is going on in the world around them- fears, losses, family turmoil, even the economy.

And of course it depends on YOU. The mom, teacher, advisor, cook, confidant, chauffeur, bill payer, prayer warrior, person trying to make it through their own walk through life.

...Where was I? Oh yeah, so I guess that really leaves us with LOTS of prayer and the belief that we are doing what God wants us to do and He will see you BOTH through it.

My Review of PAC-MAN Belt

Originally submitted at 80sTees.com

This PAC-MAN belt features Inky, Pinky, Blinky and Clyde. The belt is black with blue trim, the ghosts alternate all around the 42 inch belt. This belt is adjustable to any size under 42 inches. STKSTF

PAC-MAN Belt

It's a hit!

By cotonmom from DeWitt,VA on 5/12/2010

 

5out of 5

Pros: Comfortable, Fun, Stylish, Durable, Fashionable, Everyone wants one, Versatile

Best Uses: School, Casual Wear

Describe Yourself: Casual Dresser

My son loves this belt. He has had so many complements on its unique style.

(legalese)

Ingleside Farms~

Have you ever heard of Ingleside Farm? http://keepingthefarm.blogspot.com/

This is sooo where I want to be.

I live on an old farm too, but my husband is NOT interested in doing anything "farmish".

At least not yet...I keep hoping, one day....

I grew up in NJ and my parents always dreamed of moving into the country to live on a farm.

I guess their enthusiasm rubbed off on me.

I love the country life we live, but wish we had everything from chickens to sheep to goats and emu. Or just about anything else.

Sounds like the people at Ingleside Farm are living MY dream life.

I would love to take fibers and turn them into profit. I could combine my love of animals with my addiction to yarn and crocheting.