Well, Thanksgiving went well....We had a great time at the movies.....Saw New Moon again!! I thought it was going to be crowded....I worked at a cinema, two consecutive Thanksgivings and I remember it being quite busy....People sending husbands or children off to the movies, to get them out of their hair....We got there, just as the movie was starting and there were only about 8 other people there, in the theater...What a difference from pre-opening night!! I was able to hear all of the dialog, without having to listen to teenage "screamage". After the movie, plenty of popcorn and snacks and lots of togetherness, we came home and I fell asleep in the couch and Mark computered!! We ate our Prime Rib dinner around 6 and then just vegetated, watching television, til bedtime.....On Friday, we didn't really do much of anything....Went to one of my favorite Thrift Stores and bought a whole slough of Christmas lights.....My impolite neighbors put their outdoor Christmas lights up, two weeks ago and they look really bad!! Like a badly lit trailer at a redneck trailer park!! I cannot have my out of doors look like that, nor do I want people to see theirs and think its mine.....Sometimes, I can be quite superficial!! Anyhoo...I got plenty of lights....Mark was supposed to help me string them, on Saturday.....Solitaire on the computer was much more interesting and it was quite windy.....I'll be putting them up, on my own, today....It's better than way....I don't have to listen to him gripe at my unconventionality!!! I love Mark so much, but sometimes, the way he judges how I do things really bothers me.....then again, I do the same things, so.....We're at a impasse.....He did work on cleaning out the garage!! That's a good thing and he took a lot of the trash to the dump....On Sunday, we went to church and came home....I fixed lunch and then puttered around...Mark computered.....I realized that we couldn't find any of our Christmas decorations, in the garage and got really sad!! The kids are coming from Texas this year, for Christmas and I want to have a festive looking house and yard. Well Mark looked in the rafters up in the garage and he found my decorations...but still no Christmas Tree....All I have is a little 4 foot artificial tree, but I have a little house, so it fits.....Mark mentioned that it might be up in the trailer and said he'd check, when he got home from work, today.....I couldn't wait for him....I went up there, as soon as I was up and dressed and sure enough, there it was....So, I know what I'm doing, today.....Working on housework, moving furniture about and decorating the yard and the house. I am trying very hard to learn to love Christmas, like I used to,before served 17 years working in retail and then having Mark tell me on Christmas Day, that he wanted a divorce (in 2006). It's been tough!! Not having the kids here, has made it easy to hate the season, too.....I really am trying to love Christmas again!!
So today, I need to bring the recliner in from the garage....where it's been for at least 2 years. With both kids coming in less than 3 weeks, we are in need of extra seating....So Mark and the kids can sit in the couch and I will use the recliner.....I am going to move the computer, so that it's not so visible from the couch and then get to getting busy with the decorating....I might even move Picasso's cage, if I have the room.....So anyhoo....thanks for listening and wish me luck, I have lots to accomplish today.....
Love like He loves....
In Him,
Lisa
Monday, November 30, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Give Thanks.....
Give Thanks for all of the things in your life, that you wouldn't necessarily think of as blessings.....I am thankful for Mark's snoring, because at least I know that I am not alone, in the dark.....I am thankful for my loads of laundry because I know that somebody needs me. I am thankful for dirty dishes because I know that I've had the opportunity to fill someone's soul as well as their empty tummy!! It's all about the way we look at things...perspective....I have a tendency to be a little less than positive, most of the time...It's something that I've been working to improve. So, for me, a "blessed perspective" (looking at everything and seeing a blessing as opposed to a curse) is essential. Do I always use this? No, it's a work in progress and I am trying.....We lose so much, everyday, complaining because our lives are not perfect. We truly overlook those times when God wants us to be perfectly blessed!! It doesn't have to be something big....The perfect cup of tea....or the extra dollar you find in your handbag, when you desperately need it....or getting the needle threaded the first time.....or someone taking the time to invest in your self esteem, by complementing your choice of clothing....or the hands of your true love, the hand that you hold every night, while watching television....or when the cat jumps into your lap and you're feeling really lonely.....We are children of the Most High....He created each of us and as His children, He aches to see us experience His kind of joy. What a loving, caring awesome Father we have!! To know, that I am perfectly loved, when I feel so unlovely is a precious gift...My challenge to you, today, is to find three or four things, everyday that give you a blessing and tell someone!! Tomorrow is our holiday, celebrating Thanksgiving. But everyday can be Thanksgiving if we are watchful and open to seeing the blessings God gives us, each and every day!
I'm weary, still today, so I'm going to go back to bed and catch some more Zzzzzzs......I have a lot to do, to say the least, today and I want to get it all done!! Tomorrow, I want to rest and enjoy my time with my husband...I am truly looking forward to partaking in that prime rib.....Anyhoo...travel safe, be patient with all of the turkeys and be kind to one another....
In Him,
Lisa
I'm weary, still today, so I'm going to go back to bed and catch some more Zzzzzzs......I have a lot to do, to say the least, today and I want to get it all done!! Tomorrow, I want to rest and enjoy my time with my husband...I am truly looking forward to partaking in that prime rib.....Anyhoo...travel safe, be patient with all of the turkeys and be kind to one another....
In Him,
Lisa
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
True blessings come when you least expect them!
Many blessings to you, my friends, this chilly Tuesday morning....I have been up for a while! I had a stomach ache, so I decided to get up and be productive rather than lie awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, listening to Mark snore! It's a bake day, for me so I have to have my house a little warmer than usual. Yeast dough does not rise in the cold. So go get you a cup of tea....my tea d'jour is Oolong, (nice on a cold morning, when one has a sour stomach) ....pull up a chair and let me take you through my memories of holiday baking. Okay, here we go.......
I do so remember my girlhood days. My father was (and is, still) a home baker. When making holiday preparations, he'd work for three or four days, baking from before sunup, til dusk. Growing up, we had no forced air heating....Our house had a fireplace in the living room and a pot bellied stove in the kitchen. Dad would get up very early and set fires in the fireplace and in the stove. By the time we got up, it was toasty warm in the living room and in the kitchen and Daddy would be shelling walnuts or getting other preparations made. He'd make me a bowl of Cream of Wheat and I'd set at the kitchen table, just watching him. He loved to cook and bake (to my knowledge, he still does, though since Mother got sick and he has to do it all the time, he is less enthusiastic about it now, than he was before) My relationship with my father, growing up, was troubled at best. He was very domineering and I was very headstrong.....He was also very demonstrative of his anger and not very nice, with his words.....When I was a teen and my father and I couldn't talk about anything, we could still talk about food!! We can still talk about food....though we don't talk about much of anything else, so I guess not a lot has changed! (God, Bless my father and help him find comfort in You! ) Anyhow, back to the story! I'd watch him mix and knead and rise and shape and bake, literally, for days. He was always truly happy, creating. I know now, that I learned my true love for food, from my foodie father and that even though I wanted to learn absolutely nothing from him, I acquired all of my culinary skill from my Dad. And like him, I get so much out of having people enjoy my creations.....Daddy always just glowed on Thanksgiving Day and at Christmas Dinner.....He loved it when people loved his food and I am exactly the same way. ( As I age, I see more of my father in me than my mother and that's really surprising to me) I remember the house always smelled of fresh bread, right before Thanksgiving and Christmas and it is that scent that I most closely identify with a holiday, than any other. I bake my own bread, as much as possible, but with the advent of bread making machines, it's far less labor intensive as it was, when I was growing up. Still, my house always smells like Christmas, to me and it makes my heart smile, even if just for a moment! Allowing myself the indulgence of the end slice of bread, right as it comes out of the oven, schmeared with butter is another memory that for me, is absolutely saturated in the immutable pinkish blush of childhood!
I'm listening to my dishwasher running...finishing my third cup of morning tea and trying to formulate a plan for today.....I have a pie and two cheesecakes to bake, along with bread and rolls.....I need to make my cranberry sauce (yes, I make it myself) and get my stuffing veggies sauteed and in the fridge to let the flavors mature and combine....I need to prepare the marinade for the roast, so that those flavors can combine and mature.....and I still have a bunch of cleaning to do...I didn't get as much done yesterday, as I'd wanted....facebook was more interesting than housework!! I also had a disagreement with Mariah and removed her from my facebook friends list, for blatantly telling me to shut up!! I don't know that I'll add her again and the way I feel right now, if she never came to visit again and stayed in Texas for the rest of her life, I wouldn't have a problem with that!! She needs to learn some respect for the adults in her life....She needn't like me, as a person, but she must respect me, as an elder.....She's just so flagrant about her comments and such and I know, that Mark will end up taking her side, like he always does when it comes to his children. I cannot say as how I blame him....I would probably be the same way! Being a blended family is difficult, at best sometimes....I have always felt a little bit like an outsider....I know that Mark's God-given responsibility to me, his wife, is always going to take a back burner to his perceived responsibility to his children. Whereas if I were the mother of his children, there would be no conflict! He was already terse with me, yesterday, about deleting her, without waiting for him to read all of her nasty comments. Like he wanted to decide whether or not I had a valid reason for being upset with her. And for the second time, yesterday, I had to explain to Mark, that I was an adult and did not need his permission to do what I felt I needed to do to get my point across. The biggest thing his children both lack is respect for elders and parents. It's sad! I know very few children who respect elders....There are three....Michaela and Anna Winn, my soul sister Cindy's girls, who are 13 and 15....and Kaylee Ferreira, my soul sister Laura's youngest daughter.....she's 10. They are wonderfully respectful, gracious and well spoken young ladies.....I have been praying that God will help us in dealing with all of this....praying that He will show me what to do and how to proceed!!
Anyhoo...I have been up since around 3:30 this morning and I am still very weary!! I am going to fill my teacup again and try and settle down for another hour or so of sleep or I'm never going to get anything done, due to exhaustion.....Take care of each other, my friends and love like He loves....
In Him,
Lisa
I do so remember my girlhood days. My father was (and is, still) a home baker. When making holiday preparations, he'd work for three or four days, baking from before sunup, til dusk. Growing up, we had no forced air heating....Our house had a fireplace in the living room and a pot bellied stove in the kitchen. Dad would get up very early and set fires in the fireplace and in the stove. By the time we got up, it was toasty warm in the living room and in the kitchen and Daddy would be shelling walnuts or getting other preparations made. He'd make me a bowl of Cream of Wheat and I'd set at the kitchen table, just watching him. He loved to cook and bake (to my knowledge, he still does, though since Mother got sick and he has to do it all the time, he is less enthusiastic about it now, than he was before) My relationship with my father, growing up, was troubled at best. He was very domineering and I was very headstrong.....He was also very demonstrative of his anger and not very nice, with his words.....When I was a teen and my father and I couldn't talk about anything, we could still talk about food!! We can still talk about food....though we don't talk about much of anything else, so I guess not a lot has changed! (God, Bless my father and help him find comfort in You! ) Anyhow, back to the story! I'd watch him mix and knead and rise and shape and bake, literally, for days. He was always truly happy, creating. I know now, that I learned my true love for food, from my foodie father and that even though I wanted to learn absolutely nothing from him, I acquired all of my culinary skill from my Dad. And like him, I get so much out of having people enjoy my creations.....Daddy always just glowed on Thanksgiving Day and at Christmas Dinner.....He loved it when people loved his food and I am exactly the same way. ( As I age, I see more of my father in me than my mother and that's really surprising to me) I remember the house always smelled of fresh bread, right before Thanksgiving and Christmas and it is that scent that I most closely identify with a holiday, than any other. I bake my own bread, as much as possible, but with the advent of bread making machines, it's far less labor intensive as it was, when I was growing up. Still, my house always smells like Christmas, to me and it makes my heart smile, even if just for a moment! Allowing myself the indulgence of the end slice of bread, right as it comes out of the oven, schmeared with butter is another memory that for me, is absolutely saturated in the immutable pinkish blush of childhood!
I'm listening to my dishwasher running...finishing my third cup of morning tea and trying to formulate a plan for today.....I have a pie and two cheesecakes to bake, along with bread and rolls.....I need to make my cranberry sauce (yes, I make it myself) and get my stuffing veggies sauteed and in the fridge to let the flavors mature and combine....I need to prepare the marinade for the roast, so that those flavors can combine and mature.....and I still have a bunch of cleaning to do...I didn't get as much done yesterday, as I'd wanted....facebook was more interesting than housework!! I also had a disagreement with Mariah and removed her from my facebook friends list, for blatantly telling me to shut up!! I don't know that I'll add her again and the way I feel right now, if she never came to visit again and stayed in Texas for the rest of her life, I wouldn't have a problem with that!! She needs to learn some respect for the adults in her life....She needn't like me, as a person, but she must respect me, as an elder.....She's just so flagrant about her comments and such and I know, that Mark will end up taking her side, like he always does when it comes to his children. I cannot say as how I blame him....I would probably be the same way! Being a blended family is difficult, at best sometimes....I have always felt a little bit like an outsider....I know that Mark's God-given responsibility to me, his wife, is always going to take a back burner to his perceived responsibility to his children. Whereas if I were the mother of his children, there would be no conflict! He was already terse with me, yesterday, about deleting her, without waiting for him to read all of her nasty comments. Like he wanted to decide whether or not I had a valid reason for being upset with her. And for the second time, yesterday, I had to explain to Mark, that I was an adult and did not need his permission to do what I felt I needed to do to get my point across. The biggest thing his children both lack is respect for elders and parents. It's sad! I know very few children who respect elders....There are three....Michaela and Anna Winn, my soul sister Cindy's girls, who are 13 and 15....and Kaylee Ferreira, my soul sister Laura's youngest daughter.....she's 10. They are wonderfully respectful, gracious and well spoken young ladies.....I have been praying that God will help us in dealing with all of this....praying that He will show me what to do and how to proceed!!
Anyhoo...I have been up since around 3:30 this morning and I am still very weary!! I am going to fill my teacup again and try and settle down for another hour or so of sleep or I'm never going to get anything done, due to exhaustion.....Take care of each other, my friends and love like He loves....
In Him,
Lisa
Monday, November 23, 2009
Do we always have to start with Monday?
Good Morning Monday!! I thought maybe you would just let me rest, today! That Mark would be able to get himself together and out the door....That the coffee would make itself....Lunch would be self packed and in the lunch pail and I could stay in my warm bed and continue with my sleep!! Okay, so who am I fooling, here? In my home, it doesn't get done if I don't do it! Not that Mark is lazy or anything, he works hard, during the week and let's face it, my job is my home!!
It's been a busy few days!! On Thursday, Mark and I had our date!! We went out and got McDonalds and then went to the movies and watched Twilight....and then New Moon!! It was great seeing Twilight on the big screen!! New Moon was really good, too!! In fact, we're going to see it again, on Thanksgiving Day!! Anyhoo, we didn't get home til 3 am and then we didn't go to bed until 4 am.....Then on Friday, we were going to go and visit some of Mark's family, in Nevada City and Grass Valley!! We got as far as Martell and then decided that the rain and wind were just too much to drive in and we headed to the casino for some lunch at the buffet and then home. It was so nice to be able just to enjoy my husband, without having my attitude get in the way!! Saturday, we didn't do anything special!! We went to the market and I finished some of my Thanksgiving shopping, bought sandwiches for dinner and visited with Nanette, in the deli for a bit!! She's going to Disneyland, in December and I was giving her frugal hints.....I'm great at frugal travel, especially with kids and Disneyland!! Sunday was church! I have been having issues with a couple of individuals, in the church and I really didn't have my happy attitude with me. These two people are young and blind and they need to just get a clue! One of them is in our choir and acts like a total choir diva, during rehearsals on Wednesday night and then doesn't bother to show up, for services on Sunday morning.....Grrrrrrr!! I'm a floater! When we have too few soprano voices, I fill in there....otherwise I sing second soprano (harmony) obligato or alto, with Pammie! I like to practice where I am singing, with each song, on Wednesday, so that I can be in full voice, on Sunday.....NOT!! Diva shows up late to practice.....(Everyone gets there at 7:30, she walks in at 8:00....I guess Divas need their own grand entrance!!) Steals all of my good notes, constantly steps on my mic cord and has to make a big tadoo about everything, while she's there and then she doesn't even show up for Sunday service? Get clue, here, girlie!! It ain't all about you!! Grow the heck up and take a big girl pill!!!.....The other person is just a big dope!! I'm kind of used to this person, but it still bothers me, when protocol is not followed!! I expect the rude and immature behavior, but not following protocol makes me angry!! Sunday night, was our annual Thanksgiving Pie and Praise.....Gloria was kind of in charge of that and she did a fabulous job of organizing all of the pies, presenting them with style and "pie-nache" and then was still cleaning up as Mark and I were leaving!! You did a wonderful job, Gloria and I appreciate all of your hard work!! That pretty much sums up the weekend!! It was a good weekend and I was happy to be able to spend so much time with Mark....
So, this week.....Today is kind of a clean-up day, getting prepared for Thanksgiving....Mark and I are eating alone, just the two of us, here at home....but I still want it to be special!! My kitchen is suffering from neglect...I have been working hard to get it clean and kinda fell behind, this weekend!! Fear not, though, I will get it all done....I have faith in myself!! I also want my living room cleaned and I want to run the steam cleaner over the carpet.....Just so that it's nice and pretty for our special time, together....I've got the menu down and am getting ready for that, as well....We're having Prime Rib of Beef, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Homemade Cranberry Sauce, Cornbread Stuffing, Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage, Homemade Sourdough Rolls and Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Cheesecake, for dinner...For Breakfast, I'll make some homemade Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls.....Today, I need to take the rib out of the freezer and put it in the fridge, to thaw (Wednesday morning, I'll put it in the marinade to get it ready for cooking on Thursday afternoon)....I need to test a bread recipe, for rolls....(I started the starter, on Friday evening, it should be ready to go, today and at full sour, tomorrow evening) and I need to find my pumpkin cheesecake recipe and get that all ready to go!! It's going to prove to be an interesting week!! I am glad that Mark has a four day weekend!! He works so hard!! He really deserves some extra time off....
Well, all that said, I hope everyone is having fun with their holiday preparations and that any travel you have to do is done safely....I'm having a grand time, with my own preparations and loving my life and my family and friends.....I am thankful that I have a warm bed to retire to, every evening and warm arms to run too, when I need them. I am thankful for the salvation I have, from Jesus and the care and concern offered me, from God, my abba Father. I am thankful for my sisters in Christ....Gloria and Cindy, you guys are the best sisters God gave me....I appreciate you so much and I love you both!! I am thankful for my friends and my family! I am thankful for my daughter, who lets me look through her eyes and sees me with her heart.....Mariah Lynn, you truly are my sunshine!! I am thankful for my forefathers, who faced antidisestablishmentarianism, shook off the chains of England and got into ships and crossed an ocean of sickness and sorrow, in order to bring me the freedom to worship freely....For that, I, as well as all of us, should be eternally thankful! I am thankful for Pastor Dave, who has brought me through a world of hurt and fear....You have the voice of our Savior! I don't know where I'd be right now, if I had never seen Jesus revealed in you....You have saved my marriage, my future and my life....for that, I will always be thankful!! I am most thankful for my true love!! Mark, you are my life, my hope and my world!! I love you more today, than any day before.....You've taught me to open my wings, even though I am afraid to fly.....You've shown me that a person can truly love another, just because they can.....You've taught me to see with the eyes of my heart and not rely on the eyes of my body....Some of the most precious things are only seen with the heart.....You made me a wife and a mother and a friend and a soulmate.....I see you, my love and I will always be more than thankful for your love and your name......
Have a great day my friends!! Be thankful for the big things in life.....but more thankful for the little things, for they often bring the most joy!!
Many Blessings to you all....
In Him,
Lisa
It's been a busy few days!! On Thursday, Mark and I had our date!! We went out and got McDonalds and then went to the movies and watched Twilight....and then New Moon!! It was great seeing Twilight on the big screen!! New Moon was really good, too!! In fact, we're going to see it again, on Thanksgiving Day!! Anyhoo, we didn't get home til 3 am and then we didn't go to bed until 4 am.....Then on Friday, we were going to go and visit some of Mark's family, in Nevada City and Grass Valley!! We got as far as Martell and then decided that the rain and wind were just too much to drive in and we headed to the casino for some lunch at the buffet and then home. It was so nice to be able just to enjoy my husband, without having my attitude get in the way!! Saturday, we didn't do anything special!! We went to the market and I finished some of my Thanksgiving shopping, bought sandwiches for dinner and visited with Nanette, in the deli for a bit!! She's going to Disneyland, in December and I was giving her frugal hints.....I'm great at frugal travel, especially with kids and Disneyland!! Sunday was church! I have been having issues with a couple of individuals, in the church and I really didn't have my happy attitude with me. These two people are young and blind and they need to just get a clue! One of them is in our choir and acts like a total choir diva, during rehearsals on Wednesday night and then doesn't bother to show up, for services on Sunday morning.....Grrrrrrr!! I'm a floater! When we have too few soprano voices, I fill in there....otherwise I sing second soprano (harmony) obligato or alto, with Pammie! I like to practice where I am singing, with each song, on Wednesday, so that I can be in full voice, on Sunday.....NOT!! Diva shows up late to practice.....(Everyone gets there at 7:30, she walks in at 8:00....I guess Divas need their own grand entrance!!) Steals all of my good notes, constantly steps on my mic cord and has to make a big tadoo about everything, while she's there and then she doesn't even show up for Sunday service? Get clue, here, girlie!! It ain't all about you!! Grow the heck up and take a big girl pill!!!.....The other person is just a big dope!! I'm kind of used to this person, but it still bothers me, when protocol is not followed!! I expect the rude and immature behavior, but not following protocol makes me angry!! Sunday night, was our annual Thanksgiving Pie and Praise.....Gloria was kind of in charge of that and she did a fabulous job of organizing all of the pies, presenting them with style and "pie-nache" and then was still cleaning up as Mark and I were leaving!! You did a wonderful job, Gloria and I appreciate all of your hard work!! That pretty much sums up the weekend!! It was a good weekend and I was happy to be able to spend so much time with Mark....
So, this week.....Today is kind of a clean-up day, getting prepared for Thanksgiving....Mark and I are eating alone, just the two of us, here at home....but I still want it to be special!! My kitchen is suffering from neglect...I have been working hard to get it clean and kinda fell behind, this weekend!! Fear not, though, I will get it all done....I have faith in myself!! I also want my living room cleaned and I want to run the steam cleaner over the carpet.....Just so that it's nice and pretty for our special time, together....I've got the menu down and am getting ready for that, as well....We're having Prime Rib of Beef, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Homemade Cranberry Sauce, Cornbread Stuffing, Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage, Homemade Sourdough Rolls and Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Cheesecake, for dinner...For Breakfast, I'll make some homemade Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls.....Today, I need to take the rib out of the freezer and put it in the fridge, to thaw (Wednesday morning, I'll put it in the marinade to get it ready for cooking on Thursday afternoon)....I need to test a bread recipe, for rolls....(I started the starter, on Friday evening, it should be ready to go, today and at full sour, tomorrow evening) and I need to find my pumpkin cheesecake recipe and get that all ready to go!! It's going to prove to be an interesting week!! I am glad that Mark has a four day weekend!! He works so hard!! He really deserves some extra time off....
Well, all that said, I hope everyone is having fun with their holiday preparations and that any travel you have to do is done safely....I'm having a grand time, with my own preparations and loving my life and my family and friends.....I am thankful that I have a warm bed to retire to, every evening and warm arms to run too, when I need them. I am thankful for the salvation I have, from Jesus and the care and concern offered me, from God, my abba Father. I am thankful for my sisters in Christ....Gloria and Cindy, you guys are the best sisters God gave me....I appreciate you so much and I love you both!! I am thankful for my friends and my family! I am thankful for my daughter, who lets me look through her eyes and sees me with her heart.....Mariah Lynn, you truly are my sunshine!! I am thankful for my forefathers, who faced antidisestablishmentarianism, shook off the chains of England and got into ships and crossed an ocean of sickness and sorrow, in order to bring me the freedom to worship freely....For that, I, as well as all of us, should be eternally thankful! I am thankful for Pastor Dave, who has brought me through a world of hurt and fear....You have the voice of our Savior! I don't know where I'd be right now, if I had never seen Jesus revealed in you....You have saved my marriage, my future and my life....for that, I will always be thankful!! I am most thankful for my true love!! Mark, you are my life, my hope and my world!! I love you more today, than any day before.....You've taught me to open my wings, even though I am afraid to fly.....You've shown me that a person can truly love another, just because they can.....You've taught me to see with the eyes of my heart and not rely on the eyes of my body....Some of the most precious things are only seen with the heart.....You made me a wife and a mother and a friend and a soulmate.....I see you, my love and I will always be more than thankful for your love and your name......
Have a great day my friends!! Be thankful for the big things in life.....but more thankful for the little things, for they often bring the most joy!!
Many Blessings to you all....
In Him,
Lisa
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The hurrier I go, the behinder I get!!
So, I'm sitting here, with a cup of Earl Grey (my favorite tea), looking at a stack of cookbooks! I need to plan my Thanksgiving menu and then stick to that plan!! I know what I want to make, I just need to follow through with getting it together. I am still having issues with flies!! I think it's because of my neighbors and their dog! Firstly, they don't believe in using a trash can, for their trash....Garbage bags are fine.....and they don't clean up after the dog! It doesn't surprise me though...they are as conventional as a fart in a spacesuit!! They have 6 people living in a two bedroom, 700 square foot duplex along with 2 larger dogs and a cat.....Oh well, not my business....I don't pay their rent!! Anyhoo, back to the cookbooks...I'm going to take them upstairs, along with the tea and have a cookbook pow-wow in my bed, while watching Twilight and then I'm going to finish my sleeping!! My shoulder is finally feeling better.....I'll be able to go back to the gym tomorrow....whoo hoo!! I feel like such a lazy bones, when I don't go to the gym, but I know that if I push too far (typical me) too fast (again, another 'me' type quality) then I'll end up with permanent damage!! Although I can be quite lazy, sometimes I do get tenacious.....occasionally!!
New Moon opens Thursday night, at Midnight.....I am very excited!! I've taken a beating, so to speak, for that excitement, though!! One of the ladies at my church is not so keen on my excitement!! I understand her point, but I do believe that if you're going to judge something, better that you have all of the facts, not just someone else's opinion, before you levee your verdict!! My daughter started with the "Twilight" craze, maybe two years ago......and for a long time, I judged her harshly and vehemently objected to any sort of "Twi-talk" Then something told me, that I needed to be open minded (okay, so I'm not good at open minded...but I have a teenage daughter that I want to raise up right....open mindedness is not an option, it's a prerequisite) and so I watched the Twilight movie with her......and then I watched it again....and again.....and again....I read all 4 of the books.....in 5 days! I could see where she would be enamoured of these books!! It's a beautiful and compelling love story!! Every woman, heedless of age, is looking for a man like Edward Cullen!! The only thing is, Edward is a vampire.....but a good and moral vampire....He has a vampire family....all good, moral vampires, but vampires nonetheless.....and it's just a story! It's not real life....and nothing like it, will ever happen here, in our present time, because everybody knows that there is no such thing as vampirism and lycanthropy is make-believe too....Mariah knows this...and if she holds her boyfriends to the same standard as Edward Cullen, then I am anxious to meet them.....Anyhoo, I don't like being judged unfairly.....and I really cannot stand small mindedness!!
My shoulder/back is finally beginning to feel better!! I am going to start going back to the gym tomorrow!! My brother Kyle was transported to Kaiser Santa Clara, yesterday, where he had an angiogram, to look at the arteries around his heart.....and the one they suspected of being blocked was 100% blocked!! So they preformed an angioplasty and hopefully he'll be going home today!! He's only 30 years old and this shouldn't be happening to him, but he's always been really dangerous with his health.....Maybe this will be his wake-up call!! One can only pray!!
I'm going upstairs now, to finish my tea and plan my Thanksgiving dinner....I will try to be back later.....
Many Blessings,
In Him, '
Lisa
New Moon opens Thursday night, at Midnight.....I am very excited!! I've taken a beating, so to speak, for that excitement, though!! One of the ladies at my church is not so keen on my excitement!! I understand her point, but I do believe that if you're going to judge something, better that you have all of the facts, not just someone else's opinion, before you levee your verdict!! My daughter started with the "Twilight" craze, maybe two years ago......and for a long time, I judged her harshly and vehemently objected to any sort of "Twi-talk" Then something told me, that I needed to be open minded (okay, so I'm not good at open minded...but I have a teenage daughter that I want to raise up right....open mindedness is not an option, it's a prerequisite) and so I watched the Twilight movie with her......and then I watched it again....and again.....and again....I read all 4 of the books.....in 5 days! I could see where she would be enamoured of these books!! It's a beautiful and compelling love story!! Every woman, heedless of age, is looking for a man like Edward Cullen!! The only thing is, Edward is a vampire.....but a good and moral vampire....He has a vampire family....all good, moral vampires, but vampires nonetheless.....and it's just a story! It's not real life....and nothing like it, will ever happen here, in our present time, because everybody knows that there is no such thing as vampirism and lycanthropy is make-believe too....Mariah knows this...and if she holds her boyfriends to the same standard as Edward Cullen, then I am anxious to meet them.....Anyhoo, I don't like being judged unfairly.....and I really cannot stand small mindedness!!
My shoulder/back is finally beginning to feel better!! I am going to start going back to the gym tomorrow!! My brother Kyle was transported to Kaiser Santa Clara, yesterday, where he had an angiogram, to look at the arteries around his heart.....and the one they suspected of being blocked was 100% blocked!! So they preformed an angioplasty and hopefully he'll be going home today!! He's only 30 years old and this shouldn't be happening to him, but he's always been really dangerous with his health.....Maybe this will be his wake-up call!! One can only pray!!
I'm going upstairs now, to finish my tea and plan my Thanksgiving dinner....I will try to be back later.....
Many Blessings,
In Him, '
Lisa
Monday, November 16, 2009
Here We Are at Monday again!
Here we are, at Monday, again!! What a glorious thing, to be able to start all over, with a new week!! This is a short week for Mark....We have a big date night, on Thursday, so he took Friday off, to spend with me as well...We need these times together, to unify and enjoy each other!! Next week is a really short week...with Thursday being Thanksgiving.....We are staying home, for Thanksgiving, this year and I am happy about that!! No getting up and hurrying around to spend two hours in the car....Then spend another two or three hours listening to my family complain and bicker, just to spend another two hours in the car, thinking about it, on the way home!! So we're staying home!! Last year, we stayed here on the hill, but we went to Pastor Dave's house for dinner. It was a wonderful time, but I think I'm looking forward to Mark and I, just being alone....We'll start the day with fresh cinnabon cinnamon rolls and coffee, while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!! I'll watch the parade and Mark will go on the computer.....for Dinner, we're having Prime Rib (roasted in my new Ronco Rotisserie) mashed potatoes and brown gravy, cornbread stuffing, hot rolls, sweet and sour red cabbage, green salad or cole slaw and jello salad...for dessert, pumpkin pie, of course!! Then, in the evening, we're going to go see a movie!! I want to start our own Thanksgiving traditions....our own way of doing things....That way, we make the day special, instead of mundane and repeatitive... Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of a family dinner.....just not with my family......I love them all, but there are just too many differences to really enjoy the time together.....I was always kind of the black sheep and now, I'm not so certain that I ever really fit in!! I'm very old fashioned and very traditional and they're not!! And that's okay....I just choose to be more traditional and more old fashioned, here at home.
On Friday, my younger brother Kyle, went to the Emergency Room, at Kaiser, in Hayward and after oh something like 10 hours, was admitted to the hospital with a blocked coronary artery! He's only 30 years old!! But like me, he's got Type 2 Diabetes that he refuses to control....He's got high blood pressure that he takes medication for, sometimes.....He drinks and he lives the high life.....and now, it's catching up with him....I have asked God to help him want to be healthy...I have asked God for healing attention.....The rest is up to Kyle!! I took care of my brother, a lot, growing up!! He's 10 years younger than I.....I loved him like my own....More than I love any of my other siblings.....In 2003, Mark and I lent he and his new wife, Kristen, a large sum of money and they refuse to pay it back.....This has shattered me, beyond any other hurt, I've ever experienced in my life. I want nothing more than to have my brother back...to see him walk through my door and clean out my fridge for me....to stay the night up here and keep me company.....Lord, I miss him so......But it was his choice....I still want my baby brother back in my life, but I'm not compromising my beliefs to attain it!! So now, he has become the prodigal and I will wait for him....
Today, I have been relegated, once again, to a day of rest and relaxing, so as to keep the stress on my back, at a minimum!! I am still feeling groggy from the meds and it seems to be feeling a little bit better, so I'm thankful that I can say that!! I don't like taking the medication, cuz it makes me feel totally foggy headed and all I want to do is sleep!! I'm going to go and make some lunch and maybe read or watch television for a while.....
Many Blessings to you,
In Him,
Lisa
On Friday, my younger brother Kyle, went to the Emergency Room, at Kaiser, in Hayward and after oh something like 10 hours, was admitted to the hospital with a blocked coronary artery! He's only 30 years old!! But like me, he's got Type 2 Diabetes that he refuses to control....He's got high blood pressure that he takes medication for, sometimes.....He drinks and he lives the high life.....and now, it's catching up with him....I have asked God to help him want to be healthy...I have asked God for healing attention.....The rest is up to Kyle!! I took care of my brother, a lot, growing up!! He's 10 years younger than I.....I loved him like my own....More than I love any of my other siblings.....In 2003, Mark and I lent he and his new wife, Kristen, a large sum of money and they refuse to pay it back.....This has shattered me, beyond any other hurt, I've ever experienced in my life. I want nothing more than to have my brother back...to see him walk through my door and clean out my fridge for me....to stay the night up here and keep me company.....Lord, I miss him so......But it was his choice....I still want my baby brother back in my life, but I'm not compromising my beliefs to attain it!! So now, he has become the prodigal and I will wait for him....
Today, I have been relegated, once again, to a day of rest and relaxing, so as to keep the stress on my back, at a minimum!! I am still feeling groggy from the meds and it seems to be feeling a little bit better, so I'm thankful that I can say that!! I don't like taking the medication, cuz it makes me feel totally foggy headed and all I want to do is sleep!! I'm going to go and make some lunch and maybe read or watch television for a while.....
Many Blessings to you,
In Him,
Lisa
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thank-You Lord, for Fridays......
I don't need to tell everyone that it's Friday!! I'm so glad!! Yesterday, I must have overdone something because going to bed last night, brought me waves of pain. It feels like it's underneath my shoulder blade and man oh man, does it hurt!! So today, Mark has banned me from doing anything but taking it easy.....I don't know if I can do that! Then again, I have to try my best to be obedient!! After I finish here, I am going to go back to bed!! I didn't sleep too well, last night and I am still very weary!! I have a pile of books to take upstairs with me, so that I don't get bored, while taking it easy. I get bored really easily, if I have to stay in bed, for any length of time. I am really kind of nervous about not being able to go to the gym, today, but I did get three days of good workouts in....Maybe if I feel better, this afternoon, I can go and just do my cardio training.....That is, if I can even drive!! I'll have to play it by ear!! I really hope I can catch a few episodes of the Duggars on the television today!! I love Michelle Duggar.....she's my example of a quiet gentle spirit!!
I got some work done, on my kitchen yesterday!! It's not finished, but headway has been made, so I am encouraged!! For me, cleanliness is coming closer to Godliness....and looking less and less like godlessness..... Mark noticed that I'd done some work and that felt good!! It always feels good when Mark notices the things I've done....I haven't ever gotten a lot of approval, in my past life and no one ever paid me much mind, unless I was getting in trouble. I like positive attention. It helps to quiet all of the angry voices in my mind and heal the hurt of the past. It's amazing how satan uses all of the hurtful, sad memories of the past, to influence my present!! I have been working with Pastor Dave, for almost two years on this and I've made a lot of progress, but there is still much progress to be made!! I thank God daily for forgiveness and for loving me, despite all of my warts and my afflictions.....For sending me wonderful sisters in Christ....for sending me Pastor Dave.....For leading Mark and I to FBC!! And I praise God for the pain in my shoulder....because it reminds me that I am not superwoman and that I need to be mindful of my humanity....Pushing the boundaries is fine, but knowing ones limits is as equally important!!
Mark reminded me, this morning, that I forgot to mention his son, Donovan, in my posting, yesterday.....I didn't forget.....I have many many issues with my stepson, who just turned 16 years old, in October. The biggest issue is the fact that he wants me to just die!! He tells everyone that I need to just fall in a ditch and die....that he wants me to burn up and die!! He's a child and he doesn't realize what he's saying.....that's what I hear from people!! Sorry!! I don't cop to that, at all....At sixteen years of age, he knows exactly what he's saying!! He tells his dad "Oh, I never said that...." and Mark believes him...Thing is, I've overheard Donovan saying things such as these, while on the phone, with my daughter.....Donovan is a notorious liar and even when he was young...seven years old, young, he's used threats of violence to try and get what he wanted, from both myself and his sister....The child needs help, but he's never going to get it, until his mother gets her head out of the sand and realizes how much of a problem he actually has.....
Well, I'm off to bed!! I need more rest and my shoulder us now throbbing.....If I feel better, later, I shall write more.....
Blessings,
His servant,
Lisa
I got some work done, on my kitchen yesterday!! It's not finished, but headway has been made, so I am encouraged!! For me, cleanliness is coming closer to Godliness....and looking less and less like godlessness..... Mark noticed that I'd done some work and that felt good!! It always feels good when Mark notices the things I've done....I haven't ever gotten a lot of approval, in my past life and no one ever paid me much mind, unless I was getting in trouble. I like positive attention. It helps to quiet all of the angry voices in my mind and heal the hurt of the past. It's amazing how satan uses all of the hurtful, sad memories of the past, to influence my present!! I have been working with Pastor Dave, for almost two years on this and I've made a lot of progress, but there is still much progress to be made!! I thank God daily for forgiveness and for loving me, despite all of my warts and my afflictions.....For sending me wonderful sisters in Christ....for sending me Pastor Dave.....For leading Mark and I to FBC!! And I praise God for the pain in my shoulder....because it reminds me that I am not superwoman and that I need to be mindful of my humanity....Pushing the boundaries is fine, but knowing ones limits is as equally important!!
Mark reminded me, this morning, that I forgot to mention his son, Donovan, in my posting, yesterday.....I didn't forget.....I have many many issues with my stepson, who just turned 16 years old, in October. The biggest issue is the fact that he wants me to just die!! He tells everyone that I need to just fall in a ditch and die....that he wants me to burn up and die!! He's a child and he doesn't realize what he's saying.....that's what I hear from people!! Sorry!! I don't cop to that, at all....At sixteen years of age, he knows exactly what he's saying!! He tells his dad "Oh, I never said that...." and Mark believes him...Thing is, I've overheard Donovan saying things such as these, while on the phone, with my daughter.....Donovan is a notorious liar and even when he was young...seven years old, young, he's used threats of violence to try and get what he wanted, from both myself and his sister....The child needs help, but he's never going to get it, until his mother gets her head out of the sand and realizes how much of a problem he actually has.....
Well, I'm off to bed!! I need more rest and my shoulder us now throbbing.....If I feel better, later, I shall write more.....
Blessings,
His servant,
Lisa
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Well it's half-way through the day...Thursday already!! The weeks are just flying by!! Having quit smoking, there are more hours in the day, for me. Or so it seems.....But with the days getting shorter, it seems like I fight the clock no matter what I do!! I have been working in the kitchen today!! My kitchen! The heart of my home....Right now, I think that heart is clogged with all sorts of gunky mess....I look at the heart of my home and have to think that it might just reflect the heart of my soul....Full of gunky mess!! I don't like how that feels. I want my home to be a reflection of my heart and my heart to be a reflection of my Heavenly Father. Will people, who have not been saved, look at me and see a slob and then think that the God that I profess to love, is a slob too?? Will the reflection of my home cause people to think that my God is a God of chaos and disorder, because I am sloppy?? It's a real possibility!! How can I claim to follow my God of Wonder, when my house looks as it's been a major battle front of World War 3?? The Bible says, in Titus 2:5 To be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Wow!! Arrows pointed straight at me....Spotlights falling on me....... I hardly ever work at home!! I make up excuses....I complain because no one else helps....I justify my laziness, with just about every excuse in the book!! I have never given it one thought, that the Word of God might be reviled(reviled means harshly criticized) because of my messy, unkempt house. But now that I really think on it....ponder it....It does!!It shows that I can only care for my needs, selfishly and not the needs of my family....It shows that I cannot follow the laws set forth for me, before the laws of feminism existed (I don't believe in feminism or equal rights, but that's a subject for a different day) It shows that I am rebellious to the will of God, because I KNOW what is expected of me, as a wife and carekeeper of my home and all who abide, within.....It shows my disharmony....my laziness, my slothfulness, my disobedience.....Suddenly, I am very ashamed!! I feel guilty for letting my disobedience rule me....and therein is where the struggle lies....God wants me to delight in Him....How can I do that, when I know I'm being blatantly disobedient?? God wants me to be overjoyed with happiness....How can I live that when I am surrounded by chaos and disharmony that I myself have created and perpetuated?? I MUST CLEAN MY HOUSE.....I MUST BE OBEDIENT TO MY HOLY FATHER.....I MUST NOT BE A MILLSTONE AROUND MY HUSBAND'S NECK. So today, I'm being obedient and faithfully cleaning my kitchen.....and going to the Word, I find Ezekiel 36:25 and 26...."Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove your stubborn hearts and give you obedient hearts." Wow!! I serve an AWESOME God!! A God who loves me so much that He gives me scripture on the importance of cleaning my house!! Lemme tell you my friend, His eye is truly on the sparrow and I know He watches me.....
Blessings, now and always....
His Servant,
Lisa
Blessings, now and always....
His Servant,
Lisa
There's always a first time for everything......
Well, here I are, finally setting up a proper spot in which to voice my many views and convey my message to the world. Those of you who know me well, know that I love to blog.....It fits!! I love to talk....I love to write and so, blogging works for me and gives me great pleasure, to boot!! Now where was I?? Oh yeah, blogging....I started blogging on Yahoo 360, then on Myspace.....but it just wasn't going anywhere....so I quit! I stopped sharing my life and my insight with my friends, family and total strangers and that's been something that I've really missed!! There have been a lot of changes in my life, that I'd really like to share with people....So, here I am, once again, sharing myself with the world!!
Let me start with some things about me. I'm 41 years old....a Southern Baptist wife and mother to one 13 year old stepdaughter, whom I adore (Not flesh of my flesh, not bone of my bone...but desire of my heart) I am a homemaker, domestic diva and chief cook and bottle washer and I love my life. We live in the Sierra Foothills of California...we are not rich.....we believe in God, Love and Family....We take God's word seriously and use it as a guidebook for living.... I am fat and have fought with many, about my weight, for most of my adult life. You will notice that I didn't write that I have a "weight problem"...that's because it's never been a problem to me, it's the rest of the world that just can't get over it. I do have health problems, as a result of my fatness, that have made me stop and readjust my thinking and my way of living....I have type 2 Diabetes (surprise!!) and peripheral neuropathy in both feet....and my blood sugar is poorly controlled....So, I have been using the Atkins Nutritional Approach to lose weight and control my blood sugar.....It's working!! I also work out, at least 3 times a week, if not every weekday! I love to cook (duhr! I didn't get fat eating McDonalds all the time), I sing in the choir at church and I love to sew and do many artsy craftsy things..... thanks to my daughter, I am now hooked on Stephenie Meyers' Twilight Saga....I quit smoking two weeks ago, I love Disneyland (my husband calls me a 'Disnerd'), I love second hand shopping and I love to garden.
Now, about my family! I have been married to Mark for almost 10 years.....We've been together for almost 10 years.....We met online, in March of 2000 and were married in August of 2000....We hit a bump in the road, in 2006/2007, but are fully recovered from that and stronger in our marriage and in our love for each other, now, then we've ever been before. Mark is 46 and works as a field mechanic for hydraulic lift equipment. He loves automobiles, trains, planes, television, shooting, eating and falling asleep in the couch!! I am the oldest of four and my parents have been married for 42 years. Our daughter is Mariah Lynn and she lives in Texas with her mom. We see her for holidays and for two to three months in the summer. Mariah is almost 14 years old, is an A student in the eighth grade and is the light of our life. Even though she doesn't live with us, we talk with her as much as possible. We also have fur and feather babies....We have one dog...a mixed breed dog called P'nut....We have two cats....a 15 year old Maine Coon called Rockie.....and a 2 year old bratty brat Siberian called Tugger (short for Rum Tum Tugger....though his name should have been Mungojerry, because he's always in some sort of a mess)...and we have a 6 year old Sun Conure Parrot called Picasso. Our pets are part of the family and are all of the indoor variety...We live in a duplex, in a little town called Copperopolis and love our rural country heaven. We moved here, almost 9 years ago and we call this our home. We love our community!!
Well, I think that's a satisfactory introduction....for now!! There is much much more to come!!
Let me start with some things about me. I'm 41 years old....a Southern Baptist wife and mother to one 13 year old stepdaughter, whom I adore (Not flesh of my flesh, not bone of my bone...but desire of my heart) I am a homemaker, domestic diva and chief cook and bottle washer and I love my life. We live in the Sierra Foothills of California...we are not rich.....we believe in God, Love and Family....We take God's word seriously and use it as a guidebook for living.... I am fat and have fought with many, about my weight, for most of my adult life. You will notice that I didn't write that I have a "weight problem"...that's because it's never been a problem to me, it's the rest of the world that just can't get over it. I do have health problems, as a result of my fatness, that have made me stop and readjust my thinking and my way of living....I have type 2 Diabetes (surprise!!) and peripheral neuropathy in both feet....and my blood sugar is poorly controlled....So, I have been using the Atkins Nutritional Approach to lose weight and control my blood sugar.....It's working!! I also work out, at least 3 times a week, if not every weekday! I love to cook (duhr! I didn't get fat eating McDonalds all the time), I sing in the choir at church and I love to sew and do many artsy craftsy things..... thanks to my daughter, I am now hooked on Stephenie Meyers' Twilight Saga....I quit smoking two weeks ago, I love Disneyland (my husband calls me a 'Disnerd'), I love second hand shopping and I love to garden.
Now, about my family! I have been married to Mark for almost 10 years.....We've been together for almost 10 years.....We met online, in March of 2000 and were married in August of 2000....We hit a bump in the road, in 2006/2007, but are fully recovered from that and stronger in our marriage and in our love for each other, now, then we've ever been before. Mark is 46 and works as a field mechanic for hydraulic lift equipment. He loves automobiles, trains, planes, television, shooting, eating and falling asleep in the couch!! I am the oldest of four and my parents have been married for 42 years. Our daughter is Mariah Lynn and she lives in Texas with her mom. We see her for holidays and for two to three months in the summer. Mariah is almost 14 years old, is an A student in the eighth grade and is the light of our life. Even though she doesn't live with us, we talk with her as much as possible. We also have fur and feather babies....We have one dog...a mixed breed dog called P'nut....We have two cats....a 15 year old Maine Coon called Rockie.....and a 2 year old bratty brat Siberian called Tugger (short for Rum Tum Tugger....though his name should have been Mungojerry, because he's always in some sort of a mess)...and we have a 6 year old Sun Conure Parrot called Picasso. Our pets are part of the family and are all of the indoor variety...We live in a duplex, in a little town called Copperopolis and love our rural country heaven. We moved here, almost 9 years ago and we call this our home. We love our community!!
Well, I think that's a satisfactory introduction....for now!! There is much much more to come!!
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