Yesterday, with the help of my friend's two younger children, I decorated my Christmas tree. As I sat on the couch going through the large rubbermaid container filled with carefully wrapped, delicate & somewhat fragile ornaments, I stopped and told the story behind many of them. I have several Belleek China ornaments from my friend Michele, who yearly would give me a little Irish ornament for my tree. My favorite is still the coffee cup and saucer. She was my favorite person to share a cup with, and even as I write this, I miss her so much that I could cry. There's another small pink and blue ornament I purchased in a Christmas Mart in downtown Berlin one year, the collection of Irish Dancer ornaments (because everyone I know has given me one), the "Greetings from ... View Post
Snicker MacDoodles
INGREDIENTS: 1-1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened 1/2 cup shortening 2 eggs 2-3/4 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 1-1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 cup sugar 2 tsp cinnamon DIRECTIONS: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix 1-1/2 cups of sugar, butter (or margarine), shortening, and eggs in a large bowl. Then, stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. Roll the dough into 1-1/4 inch balls. Mix 1/4 cup of sugar & the cinnamon in another bowl, and roll the balls in this mixture. Place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until set, and place them on a wire rack. Little story: My mother used to make up the dough, and put it in a silver bowl, and place it in the back of the fridge where she thought ... View Post
I Know Who Goes Before Me!
CHANGE. That word has been the "theme word" of 2014 for me. Not a month has gone by without some huge life change in my family, as well as in my personal life. I went to bed in tears last night, which oddly enough was Veteran's Day, remembering fondly all of the "PCS" moves I made while in the service. I remember each and every time I left somewhere, who took me to the airport, who I stayed in contact with, how much I hated leaving, yet how excited I was for my next adventure. And I remember people I expected to see again, but never did. Those who know me best, KNOW that my adventurous spirit has never lacked an unspoken, inside fear, doubt, and worry. It's been something I have always struggled with. But those things I fight inside, have never stopped me from jumping into the ... View Post
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
4 cups white bread, cut into cubes (although, I betcha cinnamon bread would be really good too!) 4 eggs 3 egg yolks 1-1/2 cups milk 1-1/2 cups heavy cream 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree 1 cup sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1 T vanilla 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp cloves, ground 2 Tbsp butter, cold, cut into pieces Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Dry the bread cubes on a cookie sheet in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Place bread cubes in pan. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all pudding ingredients except butter. Pour mixture over the bread cubes. Let sit 10 minutes until bread is fully soaked. Dab butter over the top. Bake 40 to 50 minutes. (Pudding should be set in center, but not dry). Good with cool whip on top! and a hot cup of ... View Post
One Kind Word
I once heard someone who was dying say to their spouse, "I forgive you." I won't soon forget that, because I watched this man muster up all of the strength he had to say those words to his loved one. So, I always assumed, it must have been very important to him - Forgiveness, that is. And every now and then, especially when someone really, really hurts me - I remember those words. I have no idea what he was forgiving, or even if the person he was forgiving was sorry for what they had done. But, we don't really need people to be sorry to forgive them, do we? The answer is simple. No. He forgave that person so that he could die peacefully. Billy Graham said, "Man has two great spiritual needs. One is for forgiveness. The other is for goodness." Three words! "I forgive you." ... View Post
Hindsight
My oldest son, Rory, is counting the months until his wedding, and until the day he starts his new married life. My younger son, Ian, awaits (far more patiently than his mother), an acceptance letter to a university. Potentially, both of my kids could move out at the end of the summer. As I prepare for this (how exactly does one prepare for this?), I find myself hoping and praying so many things for them. I'm praying that they make wiser choices than I did. I'm praying they are better people than I am. I'm praying they are better spouses and parents than I was. I feel abundantly blessed in this life, I do - But I want even more for my kids. And the odd thing, is that as I pray these prayers for them, I am realizing several things that I've had wrong for a long time. But I'm also ... View Post
I Wish For YOU “Just Enough!” Too!
It's payday. Stamps are already on the bills that I had prepared a week ago, and I have organized my spending money into the appropriate envelopes. The envelopes are not bulging, and there's not much to save, but I've been used to living this way for 2 decades now. And you know what? I'm thankful for that! Single parenting for 20 years and recently "launching" them out into the world - The Lord has recently opened my eyes and given me another blessing to be thankful for. For many years I have boasted in the fact (yes, boasted), that there are many things in my life I regret, mistakes I have made, decisions that were poor - But I successfully raised my boys into good, moral, responsible, kind, God-fearing young men. Recently, however, the Lord has shown me that this too, was a ... View Post
Stuff Vs. People – What Will YOU Choose?
I was in line at Target when someone tapped me on the shoulder this afternoon. It took me a few minutes, but when the woman told me I had taken care of her father in the hospital a few years ago, the memory of her entire family returned to me immediately. For ten years she and her two sisters had been estranged from their father, all because he had remarried after their mother's death, adding two more sons to the family. But just two days before her father's death, those three daughters visited and reconciled with their father, as well as the rest of the family. I remember it well. And not only was it nice to run into her today - it was perfect timing, just when I needed to be reminded of the reasons I chose to become a nurse. Being able to witness the entire family's ... View Post