November Blessing #30

I'm Thankful for this little Blog!

and

I'm thankful that I was able find something to be

thankful for each day in November.

November Blessing #29

Today I'm thankful that we sang

Christmas hymns in church today!

I loved it!

November Blessing #28

I'm just thankful I could get out of bed after yesterday.

November Blessing 27B

Today our family worked,
we rented a uni loader
boy we could all have fun if we could just own this thing!

We landscaped around the barn
We filled up the new flower bed in front
We leveled out a section of the yard that is hard to mow
We moved rocks
We moved more rocks

Our outside is ready for winter but even better our outside is ready for spring!

I'm Thankful for everyone working so hard.

November Blessing #27

Today (and everyday) I'm thankful for

My Boys!

Hubby ~

I'm thankful for his work ethnic.

He's helped me raise 2 great boys.

He's handy around the house.

He's challenging.

He'll eat almost anything!

W ~

he has a sense of humor

he's good to his mom

he's a great athlete

he knows who he is

he's level headed

G ~

he's funny

he's smart

he's a great swimmer

he's a great reader

he's busy busy busy

I love you Boys!

November Blessing #26

Today I'm working on being

Thankful for my Adversities ....

I know I'm the person I am today because of my adversities

and I like that.

At the time I don't know my own strength but when the winds

have past and the trials have calmed I'm grateful!

Now to strengthen myself for the next adversity!

**PS you gotta love the man that's thankful for breakfast, lunch and dinner!**

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm Thankful for laughter!

November Blessing #25

Today I'm thankful that

G made the Pumpkin pie

and

W helped make the

Pecan Pie!

November Blessing #24

Sometime I realize that I'm blessed or thankful in much deeper ways some time it just a surface thing. Today it's a surface thing but still I'm thankful ever so thankful.

Today I'm thankful for the fact that I have a small amount of conditioner in my travel bag.

I have to sub this afternoon (in G's class) and I'm totally out of conditioner. It's not even an option to go with out (static cling is WAY to powerful)! There is nothing, noda on the shelf, plenty of Shampoo but no conditioner. THEN the thought, my travel bag ....... yep, there is a small amount, just enough of today.

I'm blessed!

November Blessing #23

Today I'm thankful for being able to read. I know that seems like a given in this day and time but it is still it's one of the most important talents I can have.

Every few years I see a news story about someone that is a million years ago (or maybe in their late 90's) and never learned to read. Learning to read is their only true wish. I always cry at these stories purely out of the love they have for reading, reading something I do everyday and never think about it.

Reading is a blessing in my life!

Olive Kitteridge

I finally finished Olive Kitteridge

written by Elizabeth Strout

winner of a Pulitzer Prize.

What a book, what a woman!

I would high recommend this book.

It's written like no other book I've read AND Olive is like ....

well, I'm sure we all know someone like Olive.

Yummy Dinner

Tonight I tried 2 new recipes ... yea, I'm livin' risky these days.

Shredded Roast Beef Sandwiches ~
3-4 lb. lean rump roast (ask them to trim fat off, or if packaged, you can trim yourself)
2 tsp. salt, divided
4 garlic cloves
2 tsp. Parmesan cheese, divided
12 oz. can beef broth
1 tsp. dried oregano

1. Place roast in slow cooker. Cut 4 slits in top of roast. Fill each slit with 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 garlic clove and 1/2 tsp. of Parmesan.
2. Pour broth over meat and sprinkle with oregano.
3. Cover. Cook on low (preferred) for 10-12 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
4. Remove meat and shred. Serve on buns with meat juices on the side (I just put some of the juices on top of the meat on the sandwich. I also like it with thinly sliced cheddar cheese.

Also, I sometimes cut the meat into chunks and/or begin shredding it an hour or 2 before it's done cooking so it can continue cooking in the juices).

CrockPot Baked Potatoes ~

Scrub potatoes
Soak potatoes overnight in water with sea salt
Poke holes in potatoes
Coat potatoes with olive oil
Stand potatoes up in crock pot on their ends
DO NOT ADD WATER to the crock pot
Put lid on crock pot
Cook on high for four hours

OK, I'm not sure why you'd have to cook your baked potatoes in the crockpot in the first place but I suppose if you were going to be gone for just 4 hours this would be great. I also have a setting on my oven that would turn itself on and I could do Potatoes that way also. AND then there's the fact that I already had a smaller crockpot so 4 baker Potatoes fit perfectly on their ends. Well, at least if you find yourself in need of cooking Baked Potatoes in your crockpot you now know how.

November Blessing #22

Today I'm blessed to have found this blog.

I don't know this lady or family, but I stumbled along her blog sometime last year. I've 'stalked' (in the blog world) ever since.

This family is spending 3 mos in Paris due to her husband's job and I have gotten to go along via her blog. I've got on the Eiffel tower, to museums, on walks through the streets, I've watched her eat the most wonderful looking foods, I've gone to the parks with her, I've seen street bands..... I've just had to the most wonderful time in Paris with her. Hey, I even went to Brussels for the day and London for the weekend!

I'm thankful for Michelle's wonderful photographs and her trip to Paris.

Hi Michelle if you come looking! and thank you for taking me with you!

November Blessing #21

I have been waiting to see if I could really be Thankful about this or not, but decided that I'm thankful for the opportunity to see if this could work.

Hubby has suffered with blood clots (don't worry they won't kill him) thus causing his feet to swell thus giving him sores on his feet. Due to the lack of circulation in feet the sores just wouldn't heal. It's all a doomed cycle or seems like a doomed cycle. This cycle has gone on for months.

A couple of weeks ago he went back to the doctors and they had a wonderful surprise for him. They had a man in before hubby that was approved and got lab grown skin for his wounds. They'd only needed half of it for the man and half of it to give to someone else .....HUBBY! Notice the word GIVE, this stuff is expensive and they were going to GIVE it to Hubby. I'm tell ya it was the right appointment to have that day!

Well, they put it in place, wrapped it up and said don't peek for 2 weeks. That was hard wondering if the skin had taken or been rejected.

He went back to the doc yesterday they changed the wrapping, didn't peek and sent him on his way for 2 more weeks.

This time I'm once again thankful by Modern Medical Technology!

Beautiful grounded day

My school Terra Cycling stuff was getting out of hand and with the weather so cold and rainy (earlier this week) I didn't want be cold in the garage messing with it. Today when my plans got grounded by G's illness and the warm (60's) sunny weather I conquered the recycling. We've already collected about $30 for the school.

Then I headed out to hang up G's beautiful bright red bird house.

Picture to come later.

Hubby found a little tree that looks like a Deer had rubbed on it. If only our dog weren't afraid of the night he could really be more effective!?! When he is out (during the day) he's busy digging for moles in the field. He's driven one into the edge of the yard. I was looking at the 'mounds' in the yard one day when he attempted to start digging for one. I scolded him and he stopped, got that pitiful look on his face and thankgoodness hasn't dug in the yard since. I believe I could become Bill Murray from Caddyshack if this mole gets further into my yard.

I brought up a box of old movies (from W's days) for G to watch. Aladdin is currently playing.

November Blessing 20B

Today I am Blessed to be available.

Today I got a call from the

school saying that G was sick.

I rushed out of the house, scooped him up,

brought him home to be comfy and cozy.

November Blessing #20

This morning I'm busy googling to see who the Teacher of the year was in our state. I can't find it, of which I am not thankful for!

A teacher from the school that I work at the most was up for the award. She was the teacher of year for our region but now she was going for the top stop along with 7 others. The awards dinner was last night.

Yesterday I subbed for an Early Childhood Education program at this school so I got to attend a special surprise assembly for her. I have gotten to work with this teacher on a few occasions and I learn so much from her each time she's in the classroom with me.

So today I'm thankful for being able to work and be a stay at home mom. To get to work in a such a great school (they've had a teacher of the year finalist for the past 3 years).

There is a difference in the schools in our district and this school is certainly the cream of the crop! I love to work there because of the kids, because of the staff and because of the teachers.

November Blessing #19

I'm feeling blessed by Pork Chops today!

or I will once supper is done!

I love these pork chops

they're really nothing

I just pound out the chops with seasonings

then either grill them or fry them in a bit a olive oil

Slap'em on a bun with dill pickles

maybe some onions

and I'm BLESSED!

Love Love Love them!

The last time we had them W came home and

almost jumped for joy that there were left chops in the frig!

November Blessing #18

I was blessed today by a well tongue!

You know when you get that little sore at the tip of your tongue? The one that makes you aware of every tooth in your mouth and how much your tongue goes over every tooth?

Please tell me it's just not me!?!

Today my tongue was perfectly fine again!

November Blessing #17

I was Blessed by .......

Need I say More?

November Blessing #16

This past weekend I was Blessed by W

telling me that it didn't matter what I fixed for meal it was

still better than what the school had to offer!

That took the pressure of meals off.

I am Blessed for sending W to a school

where the food is yucky!

November Blessing #15B

For supper (or lunch it's the only meal I'm fixing today) we had these

 baked apples. 

 Actually, these aren't the exact baked apples that I saw Rachel cook yesterday.  They are basically the same, except she used a Kashi (cold) cereal.  She said we could pick our own cereal.  So I picked one with raisins, dates and pecans.  Then I added more walnuts. 

I couldn't find either kinds of apples and now I've forgotten what I used but I think they could have cooked a little longer.

Goodness they were good

and I felt Blessed!

November Blessing #15

Today I feel Blessed to have

 all my chicks at home.

They have played ping pong together,

 the older teaching the younger

and the younger being teachable.

We've even watched A Haunting

I do believe in spirits but

I don't ever watch scary things and

this just confirmed that I won't be watching again anytime soon!

November Blessing #14

Today I felt blessed to have a "do nothing" day.

I had a meeting on my calendar that would have been good to go
to but wasn't a have to SOOOO I didn't go.

I stayed in

stayed warm

piddle with the laundry

piddle cleaning up the kitchen

watched a movie

answered some e-mails

fixed a pot of beans with some corn bread

for supper

Just a much needed 'do nothing' day

November Blessing #13

I am so blessed to live in the country!

I have rarely (maybe can count them on one hand)

complain about living 10 minutes from 'town'.

I love the quiet,

the solitude,

 the beauty,

 the lessons it teaches us

and the wildlife.

G has been watching the corn fields being picked and loved predicting which field would be next, then predicting if they'd stop because of the rain, would they work until dark or turn the combine's lights on so they could continue working. He wanted to know where the corn went, was it still on the cobs or off and what was going to eat such hard corn.

Last night on our (G and I) way home we saw an 8 point buck munching his way through a freshly picked corn field. He was only slightly bothered with us, just enough to walk a bit furthers from the road.

A few weeks ago we saw the most hughest owl I'd ever seen!

It was quite a sight!

November Blessing #12

Last night I took the Cub Scouts to our county Veteran's Memorial.

We took paper and crayons to making rubbings of the names. 

We found out that it's not the fallen veteran's

 of our county but all the veterans. 

So little G found our neighbor Bob's name.

 He thought that was too Cool.

I'm thankful and blessed to work with the cub scouts.

 I know this could be my last night with them as a Den Leader

 and I'm so glad I could go out with a blast. 

They think anything is a blast but a fieldtrip is always a highlight!

11-11

This is the 11th picture from the 11th folder.....

This is what happens when W gets G's t-shirt in this laundry!

November Blessing #11

It's a blessing to live in this country and I'm thankful for those that protect my family and my rights by the sacrafice and service to our country.


In our family Military service was started by my Granfather, Estill, who served in the Navy in the 40's.

November Blessing #10

Today As I started back from my mom's it was raining.

 What a dreary drive it was going to be.

Then just about 30 minutes down the road, the sun came out!

I drove in sunshine all the way home.

It was so sunny at one point that I was thankful for the air conditioner!

AND as usual when I travel, the first night back

I'm ALWAYS thankful for my own bed!

Observations from a waiting room

While waiting 8 1/2 hours yesterday in a surgical waiting room I observed alot of things .....

Oats aged much better than Hall

They were on some talk show

Hall was scary

I think I would have pick him out of a rapist line up

WAY to scary for daytime TV!

It's almost as funny to watch older people watch

America's Funniest Videos

than it is to actually watch the videos themselves
They would laugh just like they were sitting in their living room alone.
If the husband would miss the funny part he would ask his wife what had happened.
They really enjoyed the screaming cat videos!?!

People will talk on a cell phone revealing

what seems like very personal things

with a complete stranger sitting right next to them

I made all my phone calls from the stair well
it was warm in there but it was sound proof!

November Blessing #9

Today I'm thankful for a Doctor

that looks like he could be my son!

**When my mom told me that I'd think that he was young enough to be a friend of W's, I thought weeeeelllll... She's probably just getting old and thinks that every young man under 30 looks like he's W's age.... BUT when I first met him, I thought "WOW you could be W's friend."

but enough about his appearance and on to his talent.

Today Doctor Looks So Young successfully removed a small cancerous tumor from my mother's left breast.

November Blessing #8

Today I was blessed to watch our church's children's program. They learn and practice their songs all year in preparation for this day. They learn lessons and give talks in Primary in preparation for this day.

As a leader in the past of this program, you always worry and worry about this day. The children always give you reason to worry .... will they know their parts, will they not wiggle so much, will they not punch the person next to them, will they not cry, will they actually know the words to the songs, will they get stage fright and not be able to speak....will they, will they, will they.....

ALWAYS, ALWAYS the program goes off beautifully, the children rise to the occasion and congregation is filled with proud parents!

..... and yes, I was so proud of G.

He knew he is part

He sang the songs

He didn't wiggle

He rocked!

November Blessing #7

Today I was blessed to hear the words ......

"Let us not be so engrained in the NOW

 that we forget about the things to come"

Kendal S Ross

November Blessing #6

I'm often reminded what a blessing it is to live in these United States.


From the little voices I teach when they recite the Pledge of Allegiance, to the cub scout's I guide when they gather for the flag ceremonies, to trips to the grocery store where food is in great abundance. As I watch the news (occasionally) I see how other live around the world and I just won't trade it for my life in these United States.

November Blessing #5

It is a Blessing that I have talent for and opportunity to work.
I love to subsitute in Kindergarden. 
They are forgiving, they are loving, they don't have any hidden adgendas, they love to please the teacher.
To be honest Subbing is great, I don't have to work everyday, I can still be a stay at home mom for little G, but still get to make some spending $.  Not money I can really count on, but it's still spendable!

November Blessing #4

Today I'm so blessed to recognize that someone watches over me!

 All this week my alarm has not gone off.  I have yet to figure out what exactly is causing this to happen or not happen as the case maybe, but I have still awaken on time (or with enough time) to get G to school.

Now to go figure out the problem so my 'someone' that watches

over me can move on to bigger and better things,

just in case I need something bigger and better than this!

November Blessing #3

Today I was blessed by

the grocery store.

When I see grocery stores in other countries

I'm always reminded how blessed I am to live in a time and place

where good food is always abundant.

Today I headed to the grocery store because

someone let me know that Walmart had

Campbell's creamed soup on sale for 58 cents!

That's a great price and there was tons of it!

I now have soup for the winter and maybe the spring!

Green

I just have to brag about my new find!

It's this power strip that saves you money by turning off your appliances for you!

People, it doesn't get any better than this!

Mine doesn't look just like this one but I guess there are a few to pick from.

I have one at one of our computers and one at one of our TVs.

I really didn't notice much going on at the tv,

BUT I've so noticed a big changed at our computer.

This is how it works, you plug your computer (or TV) into the Master plug, then all of your accessories (printer, scanner, monitor etc) into the other plugs. When your 'master' appliance (your computer) goes to sleep, then the power strip will turn off all of the other machines. Thus cutting your eclectic intake. Cha Ching! I noticed this at hubby's computer ..... when his laptop powers down, this printer was shut off! BRILLIANT!

When our TV powers down, all the sound system, the gaming systems, etc ~ shut off,

CHA CHING! when someone turns the TV back on, they all come back on.

Now the smart power strips aren't cheap, I paid $40 for my 8 plug ins (I think it was $30 for 6 plug ins) but I can already see how they're going to save me money.

I'm headed to get more.

November Blessings #2

It is a blessing to live a time with such great communication technology!

I know that nothing stands still and time as well as technology continues on.

I'm not sure this girl can glean all the new phone technology but I'm sure I'll glean the time!

As a matter of fact I was in the cell phone store a couple of weeks ago looking at new phones, when I pick one of the new fancy dancy ones up and called W. Who know the phones in there actually worked?!?! He answered and when I asked about that particular phone he said "Mom, that phone has more stuff on it than you'll ever figure out. aaaa no Offense Mom." He was right!

I'm sitting here waiting a phone call, an important phone call with life changing information. It's as if the miles will melt once the phone rings, but when just when will it ring!

At least I'm not waiting on he pony express to deliver a message that is months old!

Communication Technology is my November Blessing #2!

November Blessing #1

Today I'm Blessed by GREAT weather.

it was 70, calm breeze and sunny!

Simply BEAUTIFUL!

The Effects of TV

Yesterday, while waiting for the Sun to set so we could head out to Trick or Treat, I laid like a zombie watching TV. A marathon of Clean House. They found the top 3 dirtiest houses and decluttered them, fixed them, gave the people in the home all sorts of new appliances and furniture and then walked away.

OK, I have problems with shows like this ....

Did they fix the problem? NO. Hording and excessive shopping are mental issues, and unless they had them in a physc ward while they were off camera the Hording and shopping issues are still with them.

Giving them new appliances and furniture! OK, I understand it makes the end result look so much better, but seriously rewarding them for living in trash?!?! How good will it look once the shopping and hording takes over again?

What I did get out of it ~ I'm going to get rid my clutter. I have one room that is cluttered to the max. The room above the garage. I'm not going to make excuses for the mess, it's a mess because I've let it get that way. I got tired of hearing excuses yesterday on TV.

I'll clean it out, declutter it, and then sit and wait for my ginormous TV and new furniture~