Merry Christmas!

Hoping all my friends out in blogland a very Blessed and Merry Christmas!


I will be without internet for a few days... post again soon!

Christmas Pictures..... Decorating

Trimming the Tree.....



Jed wants to help....



Eric puts the topper on.....




Stringing the popcorn....




Travis too...


Big sister helps teach Jed.




More pictures to follow soon!

Friday's Fixins ~ Chicken-n-Dumplins

Comfort Food. That is what Chicken-n-Dumplins are..... pure comfort food.

Now, I make my dumplins just a bit different than most.... so here goes.

First, cook your chicken until it is ready to come off the bone (I am using chicken breasts here.)



Then, after the chicken has cooled enough it can be handled take all the meat off the bones and pull the meat apart into bite sized pieces. Then return the chicken to the stock.






Now, while the chicken is going into a boil, make your dumplin mix..... this is where my recipe differs from others.... see, I make a drop dumplin mix and do not roll them out and cut them.... just drop the mix by spoonfuls into the stock and chicken. This makes for a thick and fluffy dumplin.

Dumplin Mix:
Mix 2 cups self-rising flour, 1 egg, 3/4 cup of milk, and 1 tblsp of oil together (the dough mixture should be wet.... can add more milk if needed.) Drop by spoonfuls into chicken and stock at a rolling boil. .



Add a touch of milk to help to thicken it and salt and pepper to taste......




Talk about some good eating on a cold winter night!



The cost of this meal was just about 7 dollars..... I did cook extra chicken and put the meat back for a meal later in the week..... Chicken Enchiladas!

Getting into the Role.....

Okay, so..... I must really LOVE my mother. Truly. Love Her. Cause I let her talk me into doing this.....................
Yep. That's me as Mrs Santa Claus..... I went with several from the Senior Center and read a story, handed out presents and gave "healthy snacks" to 3 headstart classes yesterday.Then we walked down to the pre-k class and I had one student that was a bit too interested in what Mrs Santa keeps under her skirts..... (I was so glad I had knickers on!) .......... maybe he thought I was keeping some presents under there??? Who knows what goes on in the mind of a 4 year old.....LOL.

Wednesday's Word

Luk 1:3-49 (NLT) Having carefully investigated all of these accounts from the beginning, I have decided to write a careful summary for you, to reassure you of the truth of all you were taught. It all begins with a Jewish priest, Zechariah, who lived when Herod was king of Judea. Zechariah was a member of the priestly order of Abijah. His wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God's eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord's commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was barren, and now they were both very old. One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary and burn incense in the Lord's presence. While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying. Zechariah was in the sanctuary when an angel of the Lord appeared, standing to the right of the incense altar. Zechariah was overwhelmed with fear. But the angel said, "Don't be afraid, Zechariah! For God has heard your prayer, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son! And you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice with you at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or hard liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will persuade many Israelites to turn to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah, the prophet of old. He will precede the coming of the Lord, preparing the people for his arrival. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will change disobedient minds to accept godly wisdom." Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I know this will happen? I'm an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years." Then the angel said, "I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! And now, since you didn't believe what I said, you won't be able to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly come true at the proper time." Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out, wondering why he was taking so long. When he finally did come out, he couldn't speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures that he must have seen a vision in the Temple sanctuary. He stayed at the Temple until his term of service was over, and then he returned home. Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. "How kind the Lord is!" she exclaimed. "He has taken away my disgrace of having no children!" In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!" Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. "Don't be frightened, Mary," the angel told her, "for God has decided to bless you! You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!" Mary asked the angel, "But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin." The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she's already in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God. Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true." And then the angel left. A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary's greeting, Elizabeth's child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, "You are blessed by God above all other women, and your child is blessed. What an honor this is, that the mother of my Lord should visit me! When you came in and greeted me, my baby jumped for joy the instant I heard your voice! You are blessed, because you believed that the Lord would do what he said." Mary responded, "Oh, how I praise the Lord. How I rejoice in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and now generation after generation will call me blessed. For he, the Mighty One, is holy, and he has done great things for me.

Thinking of hard times.......

So, Denita had this quiz and I just had to take it too! Looks like we are neck and neck on the survival rate.Perhaps if we ever find ourselves in the middle of another depression we can put our heads together .........

You Are 72% Likely to Survive Another Great Depression

Even though you may not be expecting the worst, you're the type of person who prepares for the worst. You live a relatively modest life. You don't overspend, and you aren't very materialistic. You are also quite self sufficient and independent. You have many useful skills. You can take care of yourself and those you love... which is crucial to surviving another Great Depression.

Could You Survive Another Great Depression?

Okay, Confession Time.....

I have been throwing myself a big o'l pity party. There I said it. I have become sister pout! Like a tantrum throwing toddler I have been BAD.



See, Eric has been dealing with some health issues.... for a few years now..... and he finally decided he needed to see a doctor about it. So, over the last couple of months he has been seeing a physician and had several tests run. His blood-work showed up Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever..... not like he has it now mind... but that in the last few years he has had it (we think we remember when too) and now it shows up in his blood-work..... but that is just a side issue at this point. See, the doctor is treating Eric for Fibromyalgia. Yes, men can get it too. Its a bit rarer to see a man with it, but it does happen. Now, Eric is taking meds to help with the pain he has just been dealing with for the last few years. He has only been on them a very short while, but already he says he is seeing a small difference. (Thank You, Lord!) So, we are hoping that with ongoing treatment he will be able to live more comfortably that he has in the last few years.

Now, the part about me being BAD......... see, with this all going on with Eric and not knowing how it may all turn out..... we had to discuss the thought of me going back into the work force. ( Now, see, I was our main support for the first few years of our marriage.... while Eric was tossed about from job loss to job loss then in school after the Levi's plant closed and he got a severence package to do so that the company paid for.) I worked long hard hours for several years in a high stress job that although I was well suited for and overall I did like..... well, lets just say I got a bad burnout. ..........................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................... so, after having the whole "we might have to look at you going back to work" talk that we had ...... I have been a very bad girl. Like a kid throwing a bit of a tantrum..... I have been taking out my fears, frustrations, and bad attitude out on those around me that I love best. (Sorry, Eric, Kids and many friends) I let Satan get a hold of me and bring me down and it has taken a few good kicks in the rear over the last few days to make me realize that God has been patiently waiting for me to take all that to HIM. To ask that He take all my worries, fears and frustrations and hold me close and tell me that He is working it all out for the best. I don't know what the future may hold for us..... but, I do know that whatever direction we find our family going in will be because we are following HIS will for our lives.


Please keep our family in prayer.

Thanksgiving Blessings

Today brought many blessings. Friends and family to spend the day with, great weather, a bountiful spread on the table and a wonderful - peaceful day. My very best friend, Denita, and her family (they are wonderful too) came to spend the day with us and we so enjoyed the fellowship (and the giggles) along with my mother and Eric's grandmother. There was so much food I did not know were I was going to store the leftovers (and I don't have to worry with any meals tomorrow) ..... but I managed to arrange the fridge so that everything fit.... just don't ask me to do it again! I do hope that everyone has had a blessed day.

My dressing (not stuffing) got the okay from everyone too..... I was so worried... it was my first year to make some!

I have been avoiding my blog....

Ughh, I really have. I have so many things I want to put down.... but right now I just don't have the motivation..... not sure why. My days lately all seem to run together. I am hoping for a bit of a jolt on my mood lately. Yes, Denita...... a bad blue funk...... one of the worst I've had in a very long time.

Remembering our Vetrans

Let us never forget those who have served this wonderful country and those who are in service now.

Oh, I have been on the busy side again....

....... I guess you could say that is my life... to be busy, busy, busy..... and I don't suppose I would have it any other way.

Saturday was our Ladies Day at Lomax..... we had a wonderful speaker, Teah McWhorter, who spoke to us about Serving from the Heart. It was such an uplifting day! She is the owner of Chula Vista Books in Pell City Al.(her website is at the moment under construction) And if you do get a chance to listen to her speak you will be blessed!

Saturday evening I was supposed to babysit for our good friends David and Heather. However, they called me and canceled their outing because of the sickies (we hope you are all feeling much better soon!) And, not wanting the tickets they had for the evening to go to waste, they asked if we would like them..... yipee! So, we got a date night out.... our local theater (The Strand) was celebrating the one year anniversary of opening with a 21 piece big band sound ..... Music City Swing..... it was great! We both love the big band sound and we had such a wonderful time! (Thanks again David and Heather for the tickets! It really meant lots to us that we were able to go!)

Sunday found us at services and then a lunch afterward provided by the elders, deacons and ministers of the congregation. Grilled chicken breasts, green beans, baked potatoes, rolls and dessert were provided and the women got to sit back and enjoy! The food was good, the fellowship sweet and the day was wonderful!

Monday morning my very best, wonderful, like a sister, friend... Denita came with her youngin's for a visit. We spent the day catching up and went out to a couple of stores and just really enjoyed seeing each other for the day! It was great! We decided that they would come for Thanksgiving and spend the day. We hastily put together a menu for the day! I am so very excited!!!


Today is just a day to get some things done.... piles of laundry, dishes, and all other cleaning I let get behind this past week. Not so much to report other than I did slam my finger in the door last night and it hurts!!! (yes, Eric I did have to tell everyone .... heehee)

Well, I'm off to get more done....

Friday's Fixins ~ Feeding a Crowd on the cheap side....

Ever find yourself in need of something to take to a potluck or Sunday Social for a large crowd? I have a cheap and tasty solution. These muffins are quick and easy and go a long way. They make a great addition to a chili, soup or stew meal as well!




Easy Sausage Corn Muffins

Ingredients:

2 pounds of breakfast sausage (found this on sale for 99cents per 1 lb roll)
6 boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (found these for 33 cents per box)
2 cans of cream corn (45 cents per can)
4 large eggs ( I get 5 1/2 dozen for $7.98 .... so that is 6 cents each)
1& 1/2 to 2 cups of dry milk (reconstituted) not even gonna try to do the math on that once just yet....LOL

Total cost: about $5.10

Directions:
Cook the sausage in crumbles and drain. Set aside. Grease muffin tins how you prefer.... I use a non-stick spray. In a large bowl mix 3 boxes of the Jiffy Corn Muffin mix with 2 eggs, 1 can of cream corn and 3/4 to 1 cup of milk. ( I mix 3 boxes at a time to keep from having to have a monster bowl out and to keep my stirring arm happy!) Spoon in the batter to the muffin tins only about half way full. Then spoon in the crumbles of sausage into each muffin. Bake at 350F until golden brown. (About 12-15 minutes for my oven.) This makes about 3 dozen (or more) muffins. You can also just put the mix into a cake pan, add the sausage and cut into squares after they are done. I always get good reviews on this recipe. And at just over 5 dollars you cannot beat the price.

** Note** This is not a very spicy muffin ..... however it can be modified to make it spicy by adding some jalapenos or other hot peppers into the batter and by the flavor of sausage you get.

Pondering a question these days....

Is it unethical to bribe your 2 year old to go to the potty with candy??? ...... All I can say is that it seems to work!

So, please tell me what works for you and your potty traniee......

Okay, I have done it again.....

I have neglected my blog this week. It is much easier to do these days since moving my computer into the office and out of the main part of the house..... I just am not on here as much during the day. ........ So lets do some catching up.....

We have taken down the Halloween decorations put out a few for Thanksgiving. We have pulled the winter clothes out of the building to be gone through to see what still fits and to switch with the summer clothes..... and I have been at the church building lots.... Wednesday was out Teen Meal and tonight was decorating for our Ladies Day on Saturday. Tomorrow I will baking, baking, baking..... muffins and breads for our Ladies Day. Saturday will find me most of the day at the church buildings and then babysitting that evening for our good friends David and Heather. Sunday, we have a Friends and Family Day (but no cooking for us ladies.... then elders, deacons and preachers take care of this one!) and by Sunday afternoon I will be ready for a much needed NAP!!!

A Halloween Party......

Since the older 3 are kinda past the whole Trick -or - Treating ages they opted to have a party.... and Jed had gotten so much candy from Trunk - or Treat after services on Sunday they he was fine not going out as well.....

So, here is the house getting ready for the party.....



You know you have to have a creepy spider web....



The hallway was full of ghosts.....


Mia found a string of skelatons and decided she needed the "dead men" to hang from her bedroom door.......



Jed was decked out and ready for some fun!



And we had a food spread fit for any ghost or goblin to enjoy!




We had about 35 come to our party..... it was lots of fun and we plan on doing it again this next year..... who knows we may have even more to come!

Jack-o-Lanterns anyone?

Here is the other artwork project we did for Halloween..... even Jed joined in the fun!





















The kids all had a great time...... somehow in all the fuss I did not get a final shot of all their finished pumkins but I know a friend of ours did... I will ask if she can get them to us soon!

Some Halloween Artwork...

So, we saw this really cute project in a magazine and thought we would try it out for some Art Class....


First we had an old broken hulla-hoop and strung a cheap string of vine leaves around it and secured it with some floral wire....



Then we added some cheap flower pics the same way...



After that we wrapped the wires and hulla-hoop with floral tape then spray painted the whole thing with black spray paint..... very Halloweenie ...... for a dash of purple color we sprayed it after it had dried with some of the purple hair color.....




Then after it was all dry.... we got out the hot glue gun and added eyes all around ........



Here is the final outcome...... it was a big hit. Everyone could not believe we had made it ourselves.....

Gonna post some back data...

Okay, I like that I can post and date the post for when I want them posted.... postdate or predate. So today I will post several (this being the first) that are dated for last week...... so no, you have not missed anything....

Wednesday's Word

1Th 4:14-18 (NLT) For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus comes, God will bring back with Jesus all the Christians who have died. I can tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet Him ahead of those who are in their graves. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with Him forever. So comfort and encourage each other with these words.


What an image. Jesus coming to take us home. To take all of us (His children) home, whether we are passed on from these mortal bodies or are still working in this world! May we as Christians never lose sight of this promise. Just think of it... leaving this world just as Jesus did..... through Him for He is the key. It will be Jesus that calls us home, it will be through Jesus that we are set free from this world, just as it is through Jesus that we are added to the family of God. How can you not be excited upon hearing this? But look that is not all....

Php 3:20-21 (NLT) But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same mighty power that He will use to conquer everything, everywhere.

Wow! Did you read that.... Jesus will take the mortal body of each of His followers and transform it into a glorious body like His very own! We as Christians have a destiny of transformation, not decay. And that is why we that belong to Jesus Christ are eagerly waiting for Him to return. Just think on it..... how eagerly would you be waiting on a dear loved on you have not seen in a year..... how much more so are you awaiting your Lord and Savior to come and take you away from all the pain, suffering, and death of this world to our home were there will be no more of these things, for we will be in the presence of God Almighty and partakers of each promise He has given.

A busy day that ended with Trunk or Treat....

Well, today was full of things to do..... we got up and went off to services, then came home and ate lunch at Eric's parents house (a combined birthday lunch for me and my brother-in-law since our Birthdays were both this month), then I took Travis and Mia to the church building to help decorate for Fall Festival. After getting the decorations done we had to film the Storyline for Lads to Leaders/Leaderettes ...... then it was time for evening services. ......... Can we say.... a long day!


Tonight after services several in our congregation gathered in our parking lot to pass out treats to the children .....the kids love it!!!

here is one of our elders getting a fright....lol


ooohhhh..... a ghost!

Jed is getting some treats from Aunt Heather.....

Travis is helping to pass out candy..... and sampling some too!

But we really know were all the candy went.... LOL! (could not help myself David)


Good night all out there in blogland!

Good Sunday Morning....

It is just before 7 AM this morning and I wanted to give a run down of the last couple of days.....

Friday, Travis and Mia got up and I took them to the local park to judge the shuffleboard tournament for the seniors that were competing with area Senior Centers. It was a good day for them and the seniors loved to have them help. (They are planning on volunteering for the Senior Games coming up in January.)

Friday afternoon found us with company, one of Amaris' friends came to spend the night.. they have had a blast this weekend. Mia wanted to join her cousins in going over to the Ethridge Youth Rally to enjoy both days of the rally (we took some of the youth group yesterday) , so we let her go. The rest of Friday evening was spent with the kids watching a movie and just spending time together. Mia got home from the youth rally just after 11 PM and said that it was very good and that the speaker had gone over time but that he was so good she didn't even notice.



Up early for us on Saturday morning. Eric was driving the church van to the Youth Rally..... we left at around 7:30 AM ... there were 8 of us all together. The theme this year was "Decision 08" and although the speaker was a State Representative it was not a politically charged theme.... rather it was a day of talking about the decisions we must make as Christians. The speaker, TN State Rep. John DeBerry,(who is also the minister of the Coleman Ave Church of Christ) had a way of drawing everyone into what he had to say and keeping you ready for the next words. He joked at one point during the day that he could not see the clock at the back of the building.... but that was okay, he would talk until he was done anyway. The day did run long but no one minded... everyone was having such a wonderful time. By the time we got back home it was dinner time..... I was so tired that we opted to go out for pizza. (Yeah!)

The rest of the evening was spent with the kids, watching a bit of t.v. and Eric working on the announcements for this morning's services.

What do ya'll think?

I am starting to put together a price notebook and gathering all my information and recipes down to perhaps start a local class on being more frugal, cheap meal ideas, and living on a more simple budget..... and I thought I would start using my Friday Fixin's posts to start with some recipe ideas..... what do ya'll think?

Well, let's see.....

between homeschooling now 3 children, rearranging my house to better suite the teaching of 3 children and the function of things around here in general, staying extremely busy with the running of my house, keeping up with a 2 year old and the family down with the sickies.... I have just let my blog suffer! Goodness! But things will hopefully be better in the next few days and I plan on being back on here in full swing again! I have a few new ideas to incorporate on here and in our life in general so I hope ya'll stay tuned for what I have brewing in my head!

Can it be ....9 days since I posted last? Goodness!

Well, I promise to be back later in the day to get back in a good routine on my posts and to tell you all about my last few days!

A run down of the last few days....

Let's see..... Saturday we woke and spent the day at Oktoberfest here ..... basically a huge weekend of yard sales, art and craft venders, all kinds of food, music, a car show, and lots of people and lots of traffic for our small town. I didn't really find anything that I just *had* to have (well, except for the giant blooming onion) so I didn't really buy much. Just enjoyed the day!

Sunday was just a normal Sunday around here..... a few meetings, some things to take care of but over all a nice relaxing day.

Today the kids have done a good days worth of class and I worked on getting the kitchen in order, and have spent some time on here today as well. Dinner was a quick dinner of noodles and sauce and now Mia is making some homemade cookies for later. And I am here waiting for Chuck to come on the TV..... it is the only show that is on nowadays that I find interesting.

Well, that about does it for me this day..... after Chuck I plan on straightening up a bit and head for bed.

Friday's Fixins ~ Gooey Butter Cake

1 (18.25-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, softened (1/2 cup)
2 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350*F (175*C).

Mix cake mix, butter and eggs together. Spread in well greased and floured 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. (This is a bit sticky....I butter my fingers and press the batter in the pan.)

1 (1-pound) package powdered sugar (4 cups)
2 large eggs
1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese, softened

Additional powdered sugar for sprinkling

1. Beat eggs and cream cheese together. Mix in powdered sugar. Spread mixture over cake mix.

2. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool and sprinkle powdered sugar over the top.(Optional)
   

This is a very sweet and rich cake. And one that is made only rarely!

Another year older.....

Today is my birthday. I am 35 as of today. Wow..... has it really been 35 years? Goodness.

Today was spent just as any normal day around here.... kids doing school, I got some laundry done, and we had a nice dinner..... and for dessert.....

Gooey Butter Cake that Mia made for me......mmmmmmmhhhmmmmmmm ....... it was sooo good!

Yearly Health Exams....

The kids yearly health exams were today..... all is well. Amaris is now on some allergy medications and so is Mia (for a bit) to help clear up some sinus and drainage problems..... Travis is still seeing the lung specialist in December but otherwise is doing fine. And Jed has to go back this next week for another checkup on something but otherwise looks to be fine. A good (and fairly fast) doctor visit.

Catching up....

I am trying to catch up on housework, laundry, and now the kids in homeschool.... we took last week off while Eric and I looked at the Robinson curriculum to decide if it was what we wanted to try ...... so this week we are back in full swing.

Our weekend was another busy one.... a trip to the ER (Mia got hurt at a friend's house and thought she had broken her collar bone..... not broken.... just very sore) , a busy Saturday, and a very busy Sunday.

Today I am working on laundry, and cleaning/tidying up. It is supposed to rain the rest of the week so I am hoping to get most if not all of the laundry caught up........

Well, I'm off......

Hugs!

Wednesday's Word ~ prudence

I want to share something that happened to me yesterday and thoughts on the event....

In the early afternoon yesterday I asked the kids to take some scraps out and put them in the garden (Eric will be tilling it up soon) but since Ripley (our dog) like any dog would have gone out and ate them I had told them not to let him out ( I don't like for him to eat the scraps) ...... anyway, a bit later he was all upset and standing by the door like he needed to go to the bathroom and as I was reaching for his collar to let him out on his line he slipped by me and got out..... I was not happy. So, I chase after him.... he in turns starts to run..... now I am getting angry because he is not listening to me.... I round the corner to the end of the house (because now he is in the scraps) and start to yell at him to get out of the scraps.... about that time he sees Granny's dog going through our yard with a good sized piece of stale bread in her mouth to feast on back home so he takes off after her.... and I take off after him because I want him to listen to me..... at this point I am really angry as I walk through the hay field instead of going around it to save time......

..................... as I get up to Granny's house her dog finds her way into her dog house to feast alone and Ripley sees me coming so he makes his way into Granny's garden (and I don't go into her garden.... allergies and all) so I am standing on the edge of the garden yelling at the dog to come here! He is not cooperating ..... and I am even angrier by this time..... so, I take a deep breath and try another tactic.... I kneel down and call sweetly to him...... duh, here he comes...... just as I grab his collar.... I look down and what do I see.......... a snake has slided up to me out of the garden! Its less than a foot away and I am still kneeling down at this point! So, after a heart attack, scream and a jump that would rival any world record holder ...... all that in a mere nanosecond to boot..... I take off running in the opposite direction..... which just happens to be around the back of granny's house...... as I run around the back side of the house, Granny comes out laughing, (she has only seen me screaming at the dog) thinking that she has seen me do something silly..... but when I told her about the snake she was not so inclined to laugh any longer...... I didn't even take the time to see what kind of snake it was!

Later (after I had calmed down quite a bit) I got to thinking of my actions..... you know , that is how so many today get caught by Satan. We are so caught up in what we want, what is going on in the world, and forgetting to be cautious on our journey here. Just like me letting my guard down because of my anger of not being obeyed by the dog. I let myself become so wrapped up in one thing, that I forgot to watch out for the dangers of living on a farm.

Proverbs has so many warnings....

If I had just remembered some of these verses.....

Proverbs 14:16-17A (ESV)One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless. (17) A man of quick temper acts foolishly........

Proverbs 22: 3 (ESV) The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.

(this must be something we need to take to heart.... for it is the same message as before....)

Proverbs 27: 12 (ESV) The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.


The lesson I have come away with is to never let my guard down. Watch out for the temptations to just go and not be ever cautious. Always put on the full armor of God when facing these temptations and to always look to Him as my refuge. Making prudence an every day, every moment habit.

Interesting....

I got an email from a friend this morning..... very interesting!

READ THIS AND KEEP A CAN IN YOUR KITCHEN

Subject: WD-40

This could replace duct tape as America's #1 'fixit'!
Subject: WD-40
One Sunday morning I got up very early and went outside
to pickup the Sunday paper, when I noticed someone had
sprayed red paint all around the sides of my neighbours
Brand new beige truck. I went over and woke him up and
Gave him the bad news. He was, of course extremely upset
and we stood there trying to figure out what we could do
about the problem. We decided there wasn't much
recourse but to wait until Monday, since nothing was
open. Just then another neighbour came out of his house,
surveyed the situation and immediately said to get his
WD-40 out and clean the red paint off with it. Guess
what! It cleaned up that paint without harming the
original paint on the truck! I'm impressed!!
Water Displacement #40. The product began from a search for
a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect
missile parts. WD-40 was crea ted in 1953 by three
technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its
name comes from the project that was to find a
'water displacement' compound. They were successful with
the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Corvair Company
bought it in bulk to protect their Atlas Missile parts.
Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is
nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you...' IT IS MADE
FROM FISH OIL' . When you read the 'shower door'
part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned
that spotty shower door If yours is plastic, it works
just as well as glass. It is a miracle! Then try it on your
stovetop... It is now shinier than it has ever been before.
1) Protects silver from tarnishing.
2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4) Gives floors that `just-waxed` sheen without making it
slippery.
5) Keeps flies off cows.
6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7) Removes lipstick stains.
8) Loosens stubborn zippers.
9) Untangles jewellery chains.
10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13) Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16) Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in
homes
18) It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen
floor! Open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19) Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car.
Removed quickly, with WD-40!
20) Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a
super fast slide.
21) Lubricates gear shift on lawn mowers.
22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes
them easier to open.
24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open
and close.
25) Restores and cleans padded l eather dashboards in
vehicles, well as vinyl bumpers.
26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons,
and bicycles for easy handling.
29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps
them running smoothly.
30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and
other tools.
31) Removes splattered grease on stove.
32) Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35) Removes all traces of duct tape.
36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees
to relieve arthritis pain
37) Florida 's favourite use 'Cleans and removes
love bugs from grills and bumpers.'
38) Protects the Statue of L iberty from the elements.
39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures
and you will be catching the big one in no time.
40) Ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and
stops the itch.
41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on
the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42) If you've washed and dried a tube of lipstick with
a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots
With WD-40 and Presto! Lipstick is gone!
43) If you spr ay WD-40 on the distributor cap, it will
displace the moisture and allow the car to start.
I keep a can of WD-40 in my kitchen cabinet over the
Stove. It is good for oven burns or any other type of
Burn. It takes the burned feeling away and heals with NO scarring.
Remember, the basic ingredient is FISH OIL.

Yipee!!! Free!!! Whhooohhoooo!!!

Goodness! Last night we went and picked up the curriculum that we were given..... can I just say WOW!!! Look at all this stuff .....


Math.... just about all we need to teach all middle school and high school.


Same with Science


Lots of Social Studies, Geography....


.....and History



English is all here too!


Plus all these wonderful disks, videos and ACT/SAT books!


But we think this is a treasure.... the entire set of Robison Self-Teaching Curriculum along with notebooks filled with printouts for it! Its for k-12!!!


Here it all is!!!



We are feeling so very blessed and truly feel that this is what the Lord is leading us to do. He has provided just as we were starting to wonder how we could homeschool Travis at a high school level with little invested..... God is so very good!!!