Old Christmas cards = gift tags

Before throwing away Christmas cards received, pick out your favorites and use as gift tags next year.

Dressed up chicken salad

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken salad (this is from Sam's Club)
• Grapes, sliced
• Almonds, sliced
• Celery, chopped
• Sweetened pecans

Mix all. Serve on lettuce or buns. Yum!

Dressed Up Chicken Salad

Happy Thanksgiving!

Osborne lights at Disney World

For a dose of color and traditional/ modern Christmas music, check out the Osborne lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  Fun time... Even had snow!

Movie review : The Musical Oklahoma!

Excellent London version of the musical Oklahoma!  Starring Hugh Jackman...SO different from Wolverine!  :)   Check it out.

Bergamot in Earl Grey Tea

I learned something new this weekend.  Earl Grey tea has a citrus flavoring in it called bergamot.  I'd never heard of this before.  It can be extracted as an essential oil and tastes great in the tea...supposed  to build confidence and enhance your mood.  No wonder Jean-Luc Picard always drank it on the Enterprise!  Having some right now.   Delicious.

The bergamot is in the Twinings of London and Bigelow brands of tea.

Harbinger of Christmas

When this bear in our pretty downtown area changes his outfit to Santa's, it's officially the Christmas season here...  a little early for me though.  :)

Little things often mean the most

How true...

Starbucks BOGO Nov 13-17 2-5 pm

Share a coffee with a friend this week/weekend.  Starbucks holiday drinks are BOGO.  Check your location to see if they are participating in this.

The Way We Were / Reunions and reconnecting with old friends

...Though I know  I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them...

All My Life sung by Judy Collins

Even just hearing the name of a cherished friend can warm my heart.  Old memories...fun times...few responsibilities...no wrinkles...some foolishness...all the time in the world. My 40th high school reunion was a few weeks ago and all of a sudden there are FB friend requests from many from my teenage and college years; several I have declined, I might add.  We've all grown older, added a few pounds and maybe a bit of gray hair.  Hopefully we are wiser, too. 

With the internet --Facebook, FaceTime, Skype --relationships can resume out of the blue and seem to pick right back  up where they left off... even though many years have passed. Usually that's a good thing, sometimes a yellow light should be flashing. Particularly when those reconnecting were more than "just friends".    What starts innocently as "friending" can  stir up familiar emotions on both sides of the computer screen.  Add  in spouses and children, even grown ones, and it can  also lead to hurt feelings or strife in the home. 

Relationships in our younger days seem almost perfect in our memories and can be a mental escape  from real life  if dwelled upon. But they were during a carefree time without the life lessons learned from long marriages, paying bills, raising children, struggling in careers or dealing with long-term illness.  Lyrics from Streisand's The Way We Were come to mind... ...has time rewritten every line?  Growing up comes in many forms.

It's fun to keep in touch. but not to dwell on  past times together or ponder "what if?".    Point each other back to where you are now and how God has blessed you both. What is in the past will always  be and cannot be changed... a fond memory of what WAS...not what IS.  All things work together for good to those who are called...[Romans 8:28]--old relationships and reconnections as well.  Be kind, but wise, in your behavior and your words, spoken or written.   Guard your heart with all diligence [Proverbs 4:23].

Acknowledge what was, clear the air and live in what is... 

Fresh roasted vegetables

I've been cooking family dinner meals for 25+ years and have never roasted veggies as a side dish. I've cooked them with meat for a pot roast but this is different. 

Gather up fresh veggies and slice them small. Any veggies you like. Put in a casserole dish stacked. Coat with Olive oil, add tosemary, salt, garlic, pepper..  Bake at 425 degrees for at least one hour. 

Yum. 

Homemade bread and jam gifts

There is always something very special when you are given a gift made by someone.  I often give homemade bread as gifts so it was such a surprise to receive a loaf made by a dear friend yesterday. 

I'm enjoying it for breakfast topped with homemade Fig preserves made by my aunt.  A meal made with love...it warms the heart and the soul. 

Homemade Christmas Gifts $2.99 Kindle Book FREE Nov 5 2013

This inexpensive kindle book has an article by me in it (homemade bread)!  Check it out HERE.

Football party fun

Gators lost last night but a fun time anyway with family and great food. 

Happy Birthday!

 Another birthday week of fun... I have the sweetest family and friends. Just a few photos of the day...

50 free SwagBucks

Musical e-cards

Kindle paperweight vs iPad mini

The Kindle Paperwhite truly is a great little device for reading especially if you travel a lot. I bought this on a whim this summer with $ from a music job that was unexpected. 

I loved the size and read about 8 books in 2 months but then stopped using it since much of what I wanted to read was not Kindle based. I still enjoy holding books in my hands, too. 

I listed this and sold it in 45 minutes last week and am using the $ for an iPad mini on which I can read and do much more. 

Goodbye little friend, it was fun while it lasted. 

College football UCF

Have to post this since it's the biggest win in my alma mater's history!  UCF beat Louisville 38-35. 

Lessons from the garden

These flowers look pretty from a distance. I see them often on my neighborhood walks. They have even more blossoms in the spring. 

Upon closer inspection there are long, very sharp thorns on the underside.  You definitely do not want to bump your leg against them or trip and fall into these flowers!

Another garden analogy:  how are you--how am I-- on the underside?  Do we just look nice outwardly but have a prickly heart?  Or does the time I spend on my appearance leave little time for renewing my mind and heart in the Word?

Something to ponder...

1Sam. 16:7 ...for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Pioneer Woman

I so enjoy watching The Pioneer Woman. One of my sons gave me one of her cookbooks last year. Wish she could stop by and fix dinner for us --especially on Monday or Tuesday when I work all day!

Local event: Winter Park Autumn Art Festival 2013

I have not been to this in many years.  My husband and I spent the morning at this lovely show that features only Florida artisans.  It was excellent and and lovely fall day for it.

Winter Park Fall Art Festival 2013

Making ironing "fun"

Yes, I iron 5-7 shirts a week for my husband to wear to work.  I switch on a tv program... Today it's JAG. 

I iron one hour till it's over. Whatever gets ironed in that time is all I do for the week. Simple and easy. 

Stillness of the night

Ahhh... I love being the last one to bed at night, even if it's just 30 minutes or so in the quiet. TV is off. Listening to the water fountain trickle, the ceiling fan turn...sipping a hot beverage, reading, thinking, just being still. Love it.   Good night. 😴 

Change up your daily walks

I'm a creature of habit but every now and then I change up my routine.  Had a nice long walk with a friend recently at a local park.  We walked for an hour and the conversation made the time go quickly. A lovely morning. 

National Card Making Day 2013

Not sure how this "holiday" got started but I sure had fun making cards with 2 of my younger friends at a Stampin' Up party today!   I made 12 beautiful cards in a couple of hours. 

Saturday morning breakfast

A rarity for me to cook a big breakfast since we usually go out for Saturday morning breakfast... It was yummy.  

Fall yard work

Some spray paint, some new plants, a new garden flag + a bit of energy = sore back but great results in the yard.