A Few Random Thoughts on a Sunny November Saturday

Wow! 

Jam-packed full schedule of late. Did everyone have a nice Thanksgiving weekend? We were busy beyond measure. If I had my druthers, I would never be that booked full. I kind of get lost when I'm so busy, but tis the season and I never try to fight it too much, but try to go with the flow and then "let go" of other things. One thing I had let go of was writing blog posts. 

I missed writing, and like anything, if I don't do it much, then once I get back to it, it takes me awhile to warm up the creative muscles.

That's life.

My doctor told me yesterday that my blood pressure elevated and it is concerning enough that I HAVE to make a little bit of a lifestyle change. Insert sad face. I love to cook and bake. I love tasty foods. I love cooking for my family. 

I think I need a new hobby. I hope if I adopt a bland diet (low salt) then the creativity for my writing expands and it will all even itself out a bit. wink wink

{Please Lord.}

While on the subject of food. I found a new cooking show to watch. It is called "The Farmhouse Rules" and it shows on Sundays and I just love it. She was making bread pudding last week and I thought, "You know, I've always wanted to taste bread pudding, now is the time to make some." 

So, I did. I made bread pudding using The Farmhouse Rules recipe for it and it was absolutely delicious. I don't have a picture, I so wish I had taken a photo, but I was too busy, and forgot. It was beautiful, a nice dark color on the white cake plate. I did serve it on the dessert bar at Thanksgiving dinner and I got a couple of compliments on it and a couple folks took some leftovers home as there was no way I was able to eat all of it by myself. 

I learned another lesson by baking the bread pudding. Don't wait, if you are wanting to try something, find a recipe and make it. Don't wait for years wondering what it might taste like. I actually want to challenge myself to cook more new recipes, maybe one per month. Albeit the recipes need to be on the bland side. Insert another sad face right here. 

I haven't been able to get out and about to shoot some good pictures lately, but I did find a few in my camera I thought I would share today.

Amish Farms

I just found it interesting where they placed their clothes line, kind of between two barns. I wondered who decided to place the clothesline there? Was it because there was big enough space for a nice big clothesline? Or did they think about it at all? Anyone who lives in the country and has a clothesline knows the dilemma of hanging clothes on the line and bringing clean laundry inside that smells of manure. 

When I was shooting these pictures I was sure I smelled manure and downy all in the same breath. 

(Don't get me wrong, I'm not passing judgement on them, it was just an observation I had and found amusing. Crazy things amuse me.) 

I liked the trees I was shooting through more than the farm in these pictures. It just made it fascinating for me. I'm pretty sure I can't explain it.

I hope you enjoy anyway. 

My family has been blessed with several hams and my family is not a big ham fan. So, I make ham balls. My kids send any hams, they receive, to me so I can make them into ham balls. I have three hams unthawed and so I am going to go spend several hours making ham balls and then I will freeze them in quart size containers to use as appetizers over the Christmas season and also give some to the family. My family does love ham balls, just not slices of ham. 

Thankful:

For family who is open to allowing others to share the holidays with us. Although our Chinese folks couldn't make it, we ended up with a couple other folks spending Thanksgiving with us who didn't have family to spend it with. 

For God and his grace and mercy shown to me every day.

For our church family. They hold me accountable in a way I've never been held accountable before. I cherish that. They promote spiritual growth and that is what I desire more than anything. 

For you - my readers on my blog and Facebook. You give me hope that I might be able to become a writer one day. 

Blessings!

Lue

thanksgiving preparations

Thanksgiving preparations are in the air.

I can smell them in my "air" tonight. After work I went to my favorite local bakery and purchased three loaves of homemade bread and brought them home, cut the loaves into bite sized cubes and drizzled melted butter on the cubes and toasted them in the oven.

Four cookie sheets full of bread cubes are cooling off on my kitchen counter at this very moment and the buttery toasted bread smells waft through our little cottage and makes you just feel wonderful.

  

I don't need all those toasted cubes for Thanksgiving Day, but as a tip for those of you wondering how much dressing I'm making, when I toast bread cubes I toast plenty and freeze some so I don't have to mess with that step the next time I'm wanting to make dressing.

Our family really loves dressing, a lot. I make a few big batches during the year and freeze it in quart size containers and usually give some to both of the kids for quick and easy meals when they are on the run. 

We are hosting a Chinese couple at our home this Thanksgiving Day if all goes as planned. I spoke with the fellow tonight and his sister is flying in from China or somewhere, (not sure where she is flying in from) that day and so we have to make the time work for him to go pick her up. I really hope it can all work out so they can come over and experience an American Thanksgiving.

It has been exciting for me to try and figure out things to do so they really experience an American Thanksgiving. I want it to be meaningful for them and authentic.

So, a few preparations, lots of thoughts and prayers into the day and hoping for the best.

Our Thanksgiving menu thus far:

smoked turkey

mashed potatoes

dressing

corn

green bean casserole

sweet potatoes

gravy

dinner rolls

tossed salad

cranberry salad

date pudding

pumpkin pie

pecan pie

cherry pie

We generally don't have that many dishes, but I wanted to share a big variety with our out of town guests so they can get the feel of what Americans eat in general. I've been reading blogs of what others are making and I think it is along the same lines as our menu.

I'm off to finish my grocery list for my husband to purchase tomorrow on his way home from work.

Happy Thanksgiving Preparations to all the cooks and hosts and hostesses out there!

 

Lue

Happy Saturday!

One of my coworkers always starts his phone conversations, or when he enters the room with a very hearty

HAPPY SATURDAY!

(whatever day of the week it is, he inserts that day behind his happy)

He never fails to put a smile on my face when I hear that. So, I hope you are smiling at the thought of having a
HAPPY SATURDAY!

 Saturday's are one of my favorite days of the week. I usually get a lot done on my Saturday's. And I am anticipating a very busy day today.

Tomorrow night we are having the first of two Thanksgiving dinners at our little cottage up on the hill. My side of the family is getting together. If I counted correctly, there are 16 of us. Not only are we celebrating Thanksgiving, but we are bidding my nephew goodbye and giving him our blessings as he will be traveling out of the country for six months on a missions trip. God has been preparing him for the last year or so and you can tell he is ready to go and do the work. I always think of Acts 1:8 when I think of his journey.
 

This morning one of my Amish friends is stopping by and I will help her search and print, print outs on carbs and calories. She is pre-diabetic and needs help with that. After she leaves I need to go stock my pantry and fridge with staples for two Thanksgiving meals we are hosting at our home. One this weekend, and one on Thanksgiving Day. Thankfully, folks are helping me out in the food department and I don't have to prepare everything.

There is a possibility that another of my Amish friends is going shopping with me. I have a feeling we may hit a used book store if she does. We are both a little bit addicted to used books, she goes for old comic books and has certain series of books she collects, I go straight to the cook book section and I browse and purchase one or two every time. I try not to pay over $8 for a cook book and I have some expensive cookbooks in my little collection, but for a fraction of the price.

I feel like I just wrote an article for the local paper, The Budget. Amish and Mennonites from all over the country and abroad write a "piece" for The Budget. It is their "news" of the week. I believe most of the Amish folks I know read every last syllable in that paper. I know some of them pop popcorn in the evening on the day The Budget arrives and it is an event in their home, they eat popcorn, and take turns reading the various sections The Budget comes in. :)
 

HAPPY SATURDAY!

Lue



some of my favorite things

When it feels like things aren't going so well, what do you do? Complain? Sigh a lot? Cry? Pout? Withdraw? I do some of these better than others, especially the withdraw part. I always say, "I'm no bulldozer and I'm not going to bulldoze my way into anything." So, when I feel rejected or let down, I usually withdraw first and ask questions later, or never. I'm not perfect and I will never pretend to be. Just feeling honest tonight.

I find myself going into a funk at times and today was just one of those days. I've not been feeling up to par of late. Allergies have been kicking my butt and I tire of it and I know I shouldn't and on and on...so, it got me to thinking tonight. Why focus on things that won't change or get much better, and focus on things that you feel blessed about?

Yeah, why not?

So, I am here to tell you of a few things that have helped me along life's highway of late.

counting some of my favorite things

 1.

This field of sheep.

I see them almost every day going to work and the mornings they aren't there, well, I sort of feel let down.

I was early leaving for work one morning this week so I stopped and shot a few pictures and then later in the afternoon I took quite a few more of my field of sheep. I've only selected a few to show you.

There is one black sheep in the herd.

And a couple of brownish/tannish colored sheep.

The others are so white and beautiful.

In total, I would say there are more than 100 sheep in this herd, you are only seeing a smidge of what I get to experience in real life.

For those of you who've never experienced Amish Country, I wish I could bring you here and show you what I see on a daily basis.

2.

You Gotta Be Real by 3rd Force

Music

I found this piece the other night, listening to I Heart Radio/Smooth Jazz.

This is not a new piece, but it is new for me, in the sense that I only just really listened to it for the first time the other night...really listened to it. Fershtay?

I love music, I would probably reek of it if music had a scent.

For some reason, the YouTube clip of this piece of music has no video, but the music is there and so I hope you go over there, and take five and half minutes out of your day or evening, close your eyes,  and listen to this slice of music heaven.

Please!

3.

My one friend.

I can text her anytime of the day or night and just how I text "hello" she knows what mood I'm in and she comes back at me with something that completely makes "it" better, more funny, or profound.

Know what I mean?

I hope you have such a friend in your life.

Friends.

Are.

The.

Best.

Thing.

EVER!

4.  

 Words.

Some very life-affirming words were spoken to me recently by two folks.

One very wise man spoke II Corinthians 1: 3-7 into my life. He understands me.

Do you know how good it feels to be understood?

Yeah, it feels so good.

The second came from a lady friend, not close friend, but she also knows me deeper than a lot of folks do who are around me daily.

What a gift, to have words of affirmation spoken in such a way that you feel like doing life differently!

My list is not exhaustive, but as I reread what I just wrote, I can see God's handiwork in my life with just these few things. Who cares about funky things anyway? If we dwell on the things that bring us down, we will never really, truly live, correct?

The moon was so beautiful last night. This is my attempt at shooting a picture of it. I love the red circle surrounding the big yellow ball of cheese. Remember when you were a kid and thought the moon was Swiss cheese?

I do!

I pray your evening and day are minus the funk and I pray that you find ways to enjoy your favorite things along life's highway.

I would love to hear back from some of you describing your favorite things, either here or over on the Facebook page.

Toodles,

Lue 



Authenticity

Recently, when I was shopping at a clothing store, I was waiting at the counter to be checked out and observing the folks who were being checked out at the next register over. They were a mom, about my age, and her very opinionated teenage daughter. Both were making purchases, but the mother was conflicted because her daughter didn't like the dress she had picked out for herself. The mom thought it was a good dress for work, feminine, yet business. The check out ladies entered the conversation and they agreed with the daughter and went so far as to refer to the dress as something you find "laying in a coffin". I was a little bit appalled and felt bad for the lady, she obviously really liked the dress. The conversation ensued for another minute or two and then one of the check out ladies turned to me and asked me for my opinion. I answered them honestly and said to the lady, "look at what you are wearing", the color of her blouse was the same color as the dress she liked. Then I said, "you obviously feel good in that color and are drawn to the dress, I think you should purchase it," and I went on, "I think you will make your best business deal in that dress." I smiled. She smiled. I think she felt supported, her daughter glared at me, the lady made her purchase, I made my purchase and we all moved on.

But that got me to thinking about us ladies. Do we know how to be authentic? Do we know how to be ourselves? Do we know what we like, feel good in, what we stand for, what we don't? Or are we swayed by every little wind of opposition that crosses our pathway?

This is something I've had to really work on in my own life. I came out of the Amish lifestyle where we just conformed, no matter who we were on the inside. If the bishop said no short sleeves on a hot, August, Sunday, then we wore long sleeves on a hot, August, Sunday. Those kinds of things never made sense to me, but I conformed. I was swayed by the rules of the church, I allowed myself to be told who I was and what I was going to do and wear.

After leaving the Amish and having that freedom of getting to know who I was, what I liked and what I cared about, I then had to work through the difference between guilt and freedom to be authentic. One day I will probably write more deeply about this conflict in my life and how I resolved it.

But like the lady at the clothing check out, don't we take other folks opinions and let them talk us out of being "us"? We are afraid of being different, or standing out, or setting a new rule. I see it all day long, folks who are copy cats, who don't know who they are, so they adopt someone else's ways. How they talk, dress, the movies they watch, the recipes they cook. The list goes on and on. I like when I get to meet a person and they are comfortable in their own skin, they know who they are, they definitely aren't a clone of the lady down the street, or in their church. They are authentic, they can carry a conversation about deep issues, the superficial stuff doesn't come up. I am blessed to have authentic friends and have had a few ladies stand out in my life who have done life in their own skin. I've had some good examples in my peers and otherwise.

I like that.  

I just want to encourage each lady and gentleman alike, if you are good at something and it isn't the norm, who cares? If you like it, do it. If the color makes you feel wonderful, but you get opposition from a loud-mouthed teen, wear it anyway, you will come off as confident and comfortable in your own skin. If it makes it appear like you are from the dark ages, who cares? It is you, it is what you like and folks will like you better for being authentic than if you are a copy cat.

Have you conformed to other folks opinions and rules all your life? Don't know what you like, or who you are? Not sure who the "authentic you" is? My suggestion is that you begin learning about yourself, ask yourself questions like, do I feel good in that color? Does this recipe take me back to 1970 but I loved that dish, I think I will recreate it and it will be authentically me. I don't have to go to "Pinterest" and get the latest recipe to be loved and appreciated, I can use the old and comfortable if that is what I like. Do I enjoy the arts? But none of my other friends enjoy going to a museum. Maybe you've been ridiculed for enjoying art, and you've pushed that interest way down deep. Who cares, if it is authentically you, you should go be artsy now and then. If sitting at home in a quiet room is who you are, then by all means, don't let anyone stop you from finding that quiet space.

The folks who inspire me the most, just do life. They don't stress out about what the other people may think about them. They are strong and comfortable in their own skin and they are unique. I love unique these days. It says character to me. When someone is living life authentically, it is motivating and encouraging, don't you think?

Authentically yours,

Lue

amish country and beyond, my week in pictures.

This past week I got to steal away several times to capture pictures of Amish Country and surrounding areas. I hope you enjoy as much as I did shooting them. (I got some muddy shoes in the process, but I came home and saw I had a few I was totally in love with and had some keepers.)

When I shot this photo it conjured up feelings of a murder mystery movie. Doesn't it look spooky in  a sense?

Rolling clouds, another shot at the "murder mystery movie location".

I was shooting the clouds that night, they were so big and stormy and I got this horse and wagon in the picture.

Love this scene, looking at the farm through the weeds.

Another shot, a little further away.

I always try to take several shots of a scene I really like and when I came home, I noticed the horse in this picture. I loved it. Almost looks ghostly.

I was traveling along some secluded highway and there were hundreds of blackbirds  flying around. I stopped my car, put the four-ways on and snapped away. With my window down I could hear them and they were tremendously noisy.

Very Cold Mountain...if you've watched the movie, you will understand.

A shot of the trees and how tangled they looked.

My very most favorite shot. How "Little House on the Prairie" is this? I can't even tell you what it did to me when I saw this little home. Well, I can, When I crawled back in my car, my car was still in "drive". I got hot all over when I noticed and I paused right there and thanked God for protecting me and my car! I'm blessed to drive a very patient car! and I learned a big lesson, if the car doors aren't unlocked, and I have to unlock the doors before exiting, then your car isn't in park!

The front door of the little home. I like.

I met some more animals I had to shoot, this is where I got my muddy shoes.

It was so quiet and serene down here in the valley.

When I saw how this one turned out, it felt more like a painting to me.

The farm for the animals. It has certainly seen its better days, but the animals don't know. They are blissfully happy and content. I really liked this shot, the pickup, the house high up on the hill. I really pulled the house into the picture, it was sitting up and away from everything.

Pretty pony.

This horse seemed to like that I was there. I liked his unique marking on his nostril.

An Amish home having a public auction. I parked up in a field and shot some photos, I didn't want to get too close because the Amish really don't like to be photographed.

More auction scenes.

Horse and buggies parked in a field with trees surrounding the pasture they are parked in.

More buggy parking at the auction.

How beautiful this is in real life.

My favorite shot of the two ponds.

I liked this barn, it looks old and comfortable.

A "winterized" tree against a very blue sky.

A windmill against the same very blue sky.

This driveway was fun to shoot. This is my favorite shot.

It was so windy.

Love the various shades of green dancing in the wind together.

This fellow was selling birdhouses. His very patient horse is watching the traffic and resting for the long trek home.

Beside birdhouse man were these two little girls and they were "helping" their mother, who was sitting in the buggy, sell baskets.

I imagine grandpa walks with a stick, why else would two little ones walk around with sticks as they did?

Mother's baskets.

Birdhouse man is making a sale, I shot him up close and personal. I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself. He had a certain jolly "character" which drew me in. I like.

The two scenes finally come together, basket lady's babies are watching birdhouse man make a sale. So CUTE!

Lastly, I didn't shoot this sunrise, unfortunately, I didn't even witness it, but my coworker, Bob, shot it and sent it to me. He knows I like this kind of stuff. Can't you just see God's paintbrush all over this one?

I hope you enjoyed my pictures as much as I enjoyed shooting them.

Blessings!

Lue

of coloring books, "ga ga", and the whims of a little boy

 My grandmother "hat" is the one I wear tallest and feel most blessed wearing. That God would ever see fit to insert such a bundle of delight into my life renders me without words at times. Each time I'm with Little Guy, I feel more love, more blessing, more joy than the time before. He has been such a gift in my life and I could only hope he would be able to feel how much I love him.

My love for him is.

INTENSE!

This summer, we baked a couple batches of cookies and bars and several homemade pizzas. I always set a chair up by the counter so he can help. His mother reports that when she is working in the kitchen and he is helping her he looks at her and says, "grandma?".

He knows me.

I treasure that.

He had a blast picking out the chocolate chips before we ever got the bars in the oven.

Earlier this year we had gotten together with my family and Little Guy always poses for pictures by holding both of his little hands to his face. Everyone in the background was posing as well. :) He brings us a lot of entertainment.

Can you tell?

We recently introduced Little Guy to a coloring book and crayons. He loves Curious George, whom he has dubbed, "Ga Ga". The coloring book is one of my finds when I visited a local Goodwill Store. I paid one dollar and believe to this date it is the best dollar I've ever spent.

I placed his big, fat crayons in a mug so they would be within his reach without rolling all over. The "chair" he is using is actually a "shaker style" step stool that my handy brother made for me years back. It is the just the right size for Little Guy right now, it is large enough to be a table if he sits in it backwards, like you see. I think someone should make these to sell. Grandparents would love them! I know I do. This one was caught up in a room/rooms we were painting and it got all splattered with paint which totally annoys me now, but all I can do now is sand it down and repaint it, but in the meanwhile, Little Guy doesn't mind the splatters and is having a good time using it.

Coloring his first masterpiece. So intent on what he is doing.

Love the hand holding the crayon.

Like I said, I just love his little hands, all pudgy and soft and busy.

Look at those eyelashes.

And.

Hands!

You couldn't distract him if you had to.

So happy with his masterpiece!

More cheers! And little hands in the air.

Crayons.

Selecting a new crayon.

He found a new way to use the crayons.

One, two, buckle my shoe.

Three, four, shut the door.

Five, six,

pick up sticks.

Tossed to the side and off to bigger and better things.

Watching Ga Ga

in various

positions.

Potato Chips? They are a vegetable, right?

(He was eating a ton of them this night.)

 Little Guy has brought so much joy, so much love, so much fun into my life. My prayer is that he would grow up feeling loved and cherished by his grandpa and I.

Always.

Lue