Two years? Really?

Just a quick note to my readers and to remind myself that even though time seems to drag when things are hard, they move faster when we don't let the heavy stuff bog us down. Thank you for sharing this blog with me. It has been a journey of spiritual, emotional and physical healing and I am so thankful that technology makes is possible.

Continue to pray for me and each other. There is still much healing needed.

Isiah 66:13 as one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you.

Thank you Lord for comforting this Mom and Nana.

Love,
Nana

A thought for your pennies and Baked Noodle Ring

This blog is for Nancie and for somebody special that I don't have to mention because God knows who she is.












Baked Noodle Ring

4 cups boiling water
1 t salt
1 4 oz package dry noodles (any kind will work but I like the egg noodles)
3 eggs
1 cup ham pieces or a can of tuna (optional)
1/3 cup broken crackers or stale potato chips
2 and 1/2 T butter melted
1 and 1/4 cup grated cheese


Cook noodles in boiling water with salt until tender (about 10 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water. Beat eggs in bowl. Add everything else. Pour into baking ring. Set the ring in a pan with water to cover about 2/3 of the ring depth. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until light brown. Turn noodle onto serving tray or plate. Serve hot.


A Thought for Your Pennies

We have all heard the saying “a penny for your thoughts”. Sometimes we say this when we see someone in deep concentration and we wonder what they are thinking. I would like to share with you a thought for your pennies. When I was a little girl, I often walked with my dad and he seemed to be lucky to me because he usually found coins other people had lost. He would say “see a penny pick it up and all day long you’ll have good luck”. I asked him if that was really true and he said “sure it is. If you are lucky enough to find enough pennies they will make a dime and dimes make dollars” then he would laugh as we walked on. A penny by itself is not worth very much but enough of them combined can have a value that is acknowledged by the world.

All my life I watched for that opportunity to scoop up pennies or lost change because I knew about the value of being rescued. Jesus rescued me from being lost forever because I was a treasure to Him. For years I said my dad’s little saying then one day I heard a better one. Wayne Dyer was speaking to a group and he said he does the same thing when he is walking and people look at him strangely that a man who obviously does not need the loose change, would stoop to rescue a penny. He said that every time he rescues a penny he prays “thank you, Lord, for this symbol of your abundance”. That was a profound statement to me and I have been using it now for about ten years with great joy.

A few months ago my heart was very heavy as I prayed for somebody that I love very much and, like always, I was wondering when God was going to answer my prayer. I was walking across the parking lot into work and I spotted a penny. I picked it up and it was covered with scars. Some were old and some were fresh leaving the penny very shiny from the fresh markings. I looked at the date and it was the date of the person I was praying for. I returned to my car and took a moment to pray for them again and to thank God for the reminder that the world sees our outward appearance. It sees our scars and determines our value based on what they can see. I don’t know what put the scars on this little penny and I don’t know what caused all the scars we can’t see inside of people we love. I knew and know only the surface pain of the person I was and am praying for. I carried that penny in my pocket saying a prayer for the person born the same year it was made. One day I decided to send the penny to them but prayed about it first and felt like God said, “No, this is between you and Me”. That's when I knew that my prayers needed to continue and I did not need to share this with the person who this little penny reminded me of. I pray knowing that the most important person knows the scars of the person I love. God knows the full truth of the scars I can see as well as those I don’t know about. He knows every scar on my heart and the hearts of others. Theirs bring Him tears just as mine do but, like the little penny; they do not change our value; not on earth and not in heaven. We are treasures to Him just as we are; scars and all.


Luke 15:9-10 and when she found the coin she called her friends and neighbors together saying rejoice with me for I have found the coin that was lost. Likewise, I tell you there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.

Love,
Nana

Finding our way and old fashioned cornbread

This blog is dedicated to Renee and Katrina. As they experience life living separately, may they always know the storms will pass.


Old Fashioned Cornbread

3 Tablespoonfuls vegetable shortening or bacon drippings
2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix
1-2 Tablespoonfuls sugar (optional)
1 and 1/2 cups milk
1 egg

10 inch oven proof skillet or 8" or 9" square pan; Will also make 12 muffin

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Melt shortening or drippings in the pan in the oven; tilt to cover the bottom evenly. Mix all other ingredients in a bowl then pour into hot skillet or pan. Bake 20-25 minutes. Toothpick will be clean when inserted into the center when done.

Finding our way

The picture with this blog is a weather report that Hurricane Katia is gaining strength and heading toward land. The heavy winds and rain have potential to do a lot of damage to the coastal cities along Texas where she will first touch land. We are warned when some dangers are coming our way and we are given a chance to prepare. Some things we think we are prepared for but when the heavy rains come or the wind tosses about things that were solid, we seek to find the calm again. Most people who have never experienced such storms don't know that there is a short period when you are in the "eye of the storm" and things seem to be calm, but the storm is not done. It still has to run it's course.

Katrina is beginning her first year at college. Susan began her first last year and while no two families experience things the same, there are some things that, like all hurricanes, are predictable. You prepare for the time when you will wake up and the familiar face across the table is not there. You prepare yet when it happens, it feels much different than you expected. I remember the first time Susan got sick away from home. I was so tempted to drive the three hours to her but I knew we had made a "medicine chest" for her and she could take the cold medicine and manage her day without her mom. The problem was, could mom manage her day without being there to take care of her. The wind and rain from that storm was not so bad but when there was a storm of "who is my friend and how do I overcome being lonely" there was nothing in that chest to make that hurt better. How I longed to give her the right words and advice but I couldn't. She had to find her own path. When she came home for Christmas, it was as if she never left but then a short time later, she returned to her dorm and the struggles of being a college student. We passed through the eye of the storm only for it to continue until it ran it's course. It was funny that on the day she was to come home, it was raining but the rain stopped as soon as we were by her side, moving her back home.

Today we have so much to help us find our way. Many cars have GPS devices as do cell phones and most people have one in their car. It's supposed to make your travel less complicated but I have followed the direction of mine many times only to end up far away from my destination. It is a flawed instrument but most of the time, it does point you in the right direction. If you choose not to follow it, you usually end up resetting it and starting all over but there is a guidance system that is flawless. When we follow the directions of God, we will find that the path may be narrow with only a few people on the journey with us but it always brings us back to Him. We can feel lonely or lost but if we keep our eyes on the prize, life works out for us. We can play around with the initials GPS and come up with a cool slogan like God's Prize Suffices... okay so maybe that is not the coolest but like ASAP means "as soon as possible" when we change it to "always say a prayer" there is hope in the message instead of panic.

That's what it means to follow Christ. We have hope where others panic and we know that our path will lead us to success and our success will affect others. Whether we sink to the bottom or swim to the light depends largely on our choices. I am so thankful for God who sees the storms in our life and cares enough to reach down and draw us to Him.


Matthew 14:27 "Jesus spoke to them, saying "be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid".

Love,
Nana

Morning Glory Story and Refrigerator Rolls

I dedicate this to my children who waited patiently while the dough rose every Thanksgiving for these rolls. Sometimes it's very hard to be patient.


Refrigerator Rolls

Makes 24 rolls

1 c. milk
1 cake compressed yeast
1/4 to 1/2 c sugar
1 c. lukewarm water
1 egg
7 c. sifted flour
3 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoonful salt

1. Scald the milk over hot water in top of double boiler; cool to lukewarm
2. Add yeast crumbled as you add; add sugar, water and egg to the milk; beat with a hand mixer until well blended
3. Add 3 1/2 cups of flour, butter/margarine and salt to the mixture; stir with wooden spoon until blended. Slowly add remaining flour stirring until blended.
4. Place dough into greased glass or metal bowl; grease the top of the dough; cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
5. Remove dough from bowl and shape into rolls; place in pan and brush with melted butter. Leave at room temperature until doubled in size.
6. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes


Through the eyes of a child everything has a different perspective. Fences that are covered with weeds and filled with the fragrant scent of Honey Suckle are seen as weeds and a nuisance to adults but in the eyes of a child they are much more.

Fences give a child boundaries and a sense of protection with a special kind of beauty that does not need words. Such a fence surrounded the home we lived in when I was five. I started my day running out the kitchen door to say good morning to beautiful flowers that covered the fence. One morning I got up and there were no flowers and I was upset but my mother explained that the pink, purple and white flowers I loved were only open for a little while and I had to get up early to see them. That became our special time. All the other children slept while mom drank her coffee and laughed while I said good morning to my Morning Glories.

One morning I got up and the fence was covered with neatly trimmed sticks with only a few Honey Suckle blossoms showing through. I burst into tears and asked my mother how this could have happened while I was sleeping. She explained that the fence belonged to someone else and they trimmed back the branches. My heart was broken. “Mama did you see how beautiful the flowers were?” She said “they were beautiful to me because I saw them through your eyes. They will come back. You will see them again.” I laid my head in her apron covered lap and cried.

Later that day I saw the neighbor with his hedge sheers putting the finishing touches on his trimmed bushes. He said “now doesn’t that look better?” to my mom. She gave me a look that reminded me that I should keep my opinion to myself. I wanted to say “you are a Meanie!” (because that was about as awful as you can be in the eyes of a five year old) but then he said something that made me and my mom smile at each other. “No matter how much I try I can’t get rid of this stuff. In a few weeks it will be just like it was yesterday.”

In the eyes of the world we blend in like the plants that grew into the hedge of protection that I saw every morning. Some have beauty like the Morning Glory and only a few see that beauty. Some are strong like the Honey Suckle and seem to come back no matter how much life throws at them. They do not get the attention of roses or orchids but they are always there.

God sees the beauty in all of us and allows a few to see it through His eyes. I know as I wept for the flowers He was preparing me for the morning I would have to get up and my mom would be gone and the strength of my father would weaken. The pain comes when what we want to remain permanent, changes. That is not how God works. In the early morning of our life He allows us to see beauty that we might know the joy to share with others. As we love and are loved by others we are creating a beautiful hedge of flowers for Him to see and enjoy. When the time comes for some flowers to close up like the Morning Glory or be trimmed like the strong Honey Suckle, He stands beside us and comforts us by letting us know that one day everything will become new again with Him.

Galatians 5:9 "A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in you through the Lord that you will continue in your faith". 16 "I say then: walk in the Spirit".


Love,
Nana

Old songs with new meanings.

One thing that I like about writing my blog is I can start something, write my thoughts and come back later to edit it. That's really cool for me right now because I don't always have time to write everything and if I don't spell something right, it's not like I'm speaking to somebody face to face. I can go back later and change the words. I sure wish I could do that in real time. I dedicate this blog to my husband David. If I left the living room and he was reading, when I come back he will still be there. There are some things you really don't want to change.

Song number 1: What's that Sound
"Somethings happening here and what it is ain't exactly fair..." If you know the rest of the words, this will mean something to you but if you don't well... then it may not. It's all good.


I have a shirt that my son gave me; it's one I specificially asked for because I saw a woman wearing a hat with this logo and I thought "that says it all". It is stained from wear and orange (which is a color I would never buy for myself). It has a stick figure on it that any kindergardener could copy but the words... "Life is Good" says it all; at least it does for me. In fact, I believe that to be the truest statement I have ever heard. It does not say "Life is Fair"... that could be taken two ways: life is just "so so", not really bad and not really good or "Life is Just" which I really don't think it is.

If life were "just" or "fair", when we have grandchildren we would have the energy we had when our children were young and our bodies would stay as strong as our will. Going to the gym would really produce the bodies the television commercials promise and if anybody had to step in front of a bus, it would be the person on the way to hurt an innocent child but that's not how life is.

I have a job some people envy. My office is in my home and a majority of my work I do on the phone. It's not that I don't have a boss... I have several and I have to report my work to them quite often. Even though my work seems easy to others and I am grateful that I can work from home I have deadlines. Yes, I can do a load of laundry, start dinner and get half a days' work done in my pajamas but at the end of the day, there is nobody to answer for my project but me and when I get tired, I still have to meet those deadlines. Recently I was late in a deadline because I just forgot to finish it! If you read my blog about why grandmothers are grandmothers and mommies are mommies, you can see the comical part of this time but it really is not funny at all. It's not funny and it's not fair.

I miss having a photograhic memory. I miss being the person you could ask "what happened" and not get a blank stare.... I miss being myself.

There was a time when everything in my life seemed orderly. If I wanted a cookbook, I knew exactly where it was and could probably tell you what page the recipe was on even if it had been ten years since I used it. When you opened to the recipe I could probably tell you word for word what it said. My top bookshelf had the classics on it with novels in a small section and history took up two shelves. I had a whole book shelf of nothing but reference books from astronomy to how to rebuild a carburetor. The last time we moved we had fourteen cases of just books because my husband and son also find them valuable. That's how we all learned... once upon a time. We either had somebody show us or we went to a book... now people use computers or don't bother to learn about ancient stuff because it is so much more interesting to beat a video game.

My life is not orderly. I don't dust every Monday or shop every Friday and fill my car up with gas then wash it. That used to be my routine but I seem to run out of time before I run out of "list". I don't mend the laundry as I find the missing button in the dryer or mend the tear on the pocket. That used to an easy way to take care of our laundry, you know the old "a stitch in time saves nine". (Do the repair before it becomes a major rip or you loose the button). You would think that gives me more time to do other things but it doesn't. For the first time in my life, I panic instead of welcome the thought of deadlines. It has always been a personal game with me... deadlines are just dates. I always strive to complete the task in an orderly way well before deadline and above what is expected. That's getting harder for me. It is almost spring and I have Christmas things still sitting on my desk. I am no longer orderly or efficient and I don't like it. Alas. That is how life is I suppose.

Song number 2: Jesus loves meAnytime I find myself concentrating on song number 1, I try to remember song number 2. Then I have to smile and say "He certainly does" and life does not have to be "fair" or "just"... just lived.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 "To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven" and His timing is always perfect without "deadlines".

Love,
Nana

Three steps forward, two steps back and Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is dedicated to Shaun. It is also dedicated to someone who loved me enough to tell me that although the end result of my work is not what I expected, it is not the end of the world. I especially want to thank Penny for sharing this rose with me and the world which was a special gift from her husband. Sometimes they are more beautiful when left to grow according to God's plan.






Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoonful baking soda
1/2 teaspoonful salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoonful vanilla extract/flavoring
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 12 ounce bag (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mix butter and shortening with mixer on high 30 seconds then gradually add sugars, baking soda and salt. Add this mixture to the flour and mix by hand until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased baking dish about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are slightly browned.

Shaun is the son of my niece. That makes him my first great-nephew and he has always owned a special part of my heart. This year he married a wonderful girl and he became a dad. With these changes, his priorities began to change too and he was willing to openly admit he loved his bride and his son more than he thought he was capable of. He also openly admitted making a cooking mistake. He was making cookies and substituted baking powder for baking soda. He said he thought the cookies looked different but the real test was tasting them and he will never forget the difference in the taste. It was definitely not the taste he was expecting. I told him that every cook who has ever lived has made a similar mistake even if nobody knew it and we never forget what that taste was like. He took two steps forward and slid back one. He had a plan, it did not work out as planned but he took responsibility and learned something in the process. The part that means so much to me is he shared that process with me and others.

That's what life is about. Stepping out, trying and sharing the results with the people in your life who care to listen. I am so blessed.


Psalm 31:3 Since you are my rock and fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Love,
Nana

Gifts of my son to me and Potato Soup

This story is dedicated to the soldiers who have fought for centuries for what is right but especially for those who took up the sword for our country. Today is Memorial Day. I pray we never forget why it is set aside as a holiday and who made it possible.







Potato Soup

Stock:
Place chicken skin and fat in about a quart of water. While the water is coming to a boil, cut up a whole onion, several stalks of celery and two carrots. Boil until the onion is clear. Pour the stock through a colander and toss the chicken skin and vegetables. Stock can be stored in the refrigerator, frozen or used immediately.

One quart chicken stock
4 cups of quartered potatoes (more or less... I never have measured it)
1/2 stick or a good size spoonful of butter/margarine
salt
pepper
more water
instant potatoes if you want the soup thick

Place the stock in a large pot bring to a boil and add the potatoes. Add water to the stock to cover the potatoes and have a good broth. Bring to a boil then turn down to medium high or place in a crock pot. Cook until potatoes are tender. You can finish it now or if you put it in a crock pot it will stay warm for several hours. You can serve it just as it is with a clear broth or add instant potatoes slowly.. a tablespoonful at a time until it is the thickness you like.

** Some people use flour to thicken their soups. I like to use instant potatoes instead of flour because it does not change the taste or become lumpy.

I remember the slow dance of mom and son at his wedding and I tried so hard not to cry but Scott put my head on his shoulder and brushed my hair. It was a beautiful day, his bride was amazing and I did not want to spoil it. As we heard the words to the song You Lift Me Up, he reminded me that his new bride would take care of him but she did not know how to make the soup he always wanted when he was sick; my homemade potato soup. I would always be welcome in his life.

A few months later I got a call from Abigail. Scott was not feeling well... could I share with her my recipe for this soup and I remembered his words. I am thankful for such a loving daughter-in-law and to know that God's plan for me is so much more. While I gave him life, my son and his wife gave me something that is so valuable to me... acceptance. I don't fully know His plan for me but I am taking steps to go forward as He leads me. Sometimes the only thing I can do is make soup. Some days that may be enough.

Isaiah 58:8 Your light will break out like the dawn.

Love,
Nana