An Apple a Day... Forever!

Subtitled:
What to do when your husband

brings home an estimated forty pounds of apples 

purchased for a song (okay $6) from a local grocer

on account of... they were bruised.

1.  Clean up the kitchen, and hand it over to him.  If you do this, he will make homemade applesauce -- and lots of it.  I cannot guarantee that your husband will respond in the same way, but it works for mine every time.  (Note: HE has to be the one bringing home the apples!)

2.  Take his GIANT hint, and (have your darling daughter) make an apple pie.

-AND-

3.  Don't forget what they say about an apple a day!

Hello Rosemary!

It gives me a significant amount of JOY to think that something (anything!) could be alive and growing on my kitchen counter-top in January.  It's Rosemary!  In past years, I've brought Rosemary into the house when it got cold, and she quickly shriveled up and dried died!  Last year, she was totally forgotten outside -- in the mildness of our 2012 NEOhio winter.  She survived.

This year, I gathered up my Gram's old speckle-ware soup kettle that holds that same surviving Rosemary plant, and brought it in the house before the chill of winter could get to her.  She has been perched in several spots around the kitchen, and watered, but not really evaluated -- until one day, my hubby said, "There's all kinds of new growth on this Rosemary!"  Huh, wha...?

I moved her over to the counter to get a better look -- and it's true!

The normal tough, spikey leaves have (in their newest growth) kind of gone out of control in tender, wispy, crazy curls!  Then it occurred to me that before Christmas I gave her a hair-cut.  You know -- just a little trim that I hoped would have her looking miniature Christmas-tree-ish.  It was kind of a fail.  But -- I'm thinking that's what encouraged the new growth.

Actually, I just gave it another "haircut," and made Honey-Lemon Chicken with Rosemary -- one of our favorites!

I'm lovin' having the Rosemary around! It's great to have it up on the counter where it gets brushed up against as we cook and do dishes!  Oh the fragrance!

Rosemary.  The fragrance of JANUARY.  Who knew?

My Blog Makes Me Happy

A post on keeping up with the Joneses... or not.

I love my blog.  It makes me happy.  I'm a very "visual" person -- so I come here often, and re-read things (like a diary), or look at my photos (like a photo album).

I've contemplated the conundrum of a new header, a new background, changing my template, and etc.  I have another "test" blog where I play with different features to see if I'd like a different look.  But every time I've tried a new look, it leaves me cold.  Even when I've tried mimicking some of my favorite features from favorite blogs. Because... that's them, and not me.

How great is it that God made us all different?  How boring would it be if we were all the same -- with all the same thoughts, interests, hobbies, fashion senses, talents, blogging styles.... oh, you know... I could go on and on.  You know what they say: variety is the spice of life!  Our differences are what make us interesting to one another, right?

So, while many people are starting the new year with a new look, I'll be sporting the same one.  For now, it's just the look I'm going for.  I'm not saying change won't come some day, but for now... I'll just keep on keepin' on.

How about you?  Are you sporting a new look for 2013?  On your blog?  Or your hairstyle?  Got a new work-out that's paying off?  Trying out some new styles?  Whatever you do... stay true to you.

The Handwritten Note

In Layla's "Simple, With a Hearty Side of Significant" post, she challenged us to write a handwritten note to somebody this week.  I had a few different circumstances come up...

First of all, this week was exams for our kids.  My sweet daughter was in a panic -- since they were her first big-time (not at home) exams.  I know that she is capable of great things -- but lately, she has been doubting herself, so I snuck this into her lunch bag: a handwritten Bible verse straight from her mama's heart... to her.  It's a little rumpled since it spent two days between an ice-pack, sandwich, yogurt, and banana -- but you get the idea.

And then came news that a friend's husband had died suddenly.  I wasn't able to visit at the funeral home -- only to attend the actual funeral, where there was no time to visit with the family, or my friend.  So, I wanted to write her a note to tell her I had been there, and how strongly her family's legacy of love had affected me.

You know that I have recently committed to sending birthday greetings.  I just received my selection of cards the other day, and so I feel "stocked up," but, you guessed it -- no sympathy cards.  If only I could find that small pile of miscellaneous cards that I cleaned up and stashed away before Christmas.  But, no luck.

So, when I was at the grocery store, I bought a simple card, intending to add my message.  However, a nice lady packed up my groceries, and when I arrived home... no card!

Wanting to get busy about my project before I forgot, I set to finding my missing pile of cards.  I finally found them -- as well as some note cards that I had made to give as gifts to friends.  I found one that was just the ticket:

And I'm inspired to keep on.  Thanks, Layla!  Keep those great ideas coming!

Have you written any handwritten notes lately?

Why not start today?  Let's cause a revolution. *wink*

By the way, if you're interested in seeing what Layla ended up doing, you can go HERE.  And... I'd like to echo Layla's comment about why she decided to post about her handwritten notes.  Not to brag, but to inspire.  That's all.  Plain and simple.  Because, it's not hard if you're doing it from your heart. ♥

God Calls Us...

to kindness in these days.

Recently, our pastor told a story of a woman, driving down the road...  She was in a hurry.  Tailgating.  At the stop light, she pulled up too close to the car ahead of her.  When the light turned green, she inched even closer, beeping her horn, and berating the driver.  As she waited for the car to move, she heard a tap on her window, and looked up to see a police officer standing there.

"Ma'am.  I'm going to have to ask you to pull over."

She was confused, but did as the officer requested.  As she sat in the backseat of his cruiser, she wondered why the officer had stopped her. 

After some time, he opened the door for her and said, "Well, I'm gonna have to let you go."  She asked what had made him pull her over.

"I spotted the "fish," "WWJD," "Follow me to Sunday School!" and "ProLife" bumper stickers on the car, and after seeing your behavior towards the driver ahead of you, I was convinced the car had been stolen.

and the crowd sat stunned.

Okay, I'll speak for myself.  I sat stunned.  I was wondering what conflicting portraits I had painted of myself for others to see.  Had I shown anything less than mercy and kindness to others while dealing with my own life pressures? --all while I was hoping and/or expecting that mercy and kindness be shown to me?

Everyone has a story.  The world has a story.  And... sometimes your story colors your world in a way that causes you to react differently to events than other people would.  But let's not use our stories as an excuse for bad behavior.  God calls us to mercy -- literally kindness!

Here's a great read: "Divine Intervention in an Old Navy Parking Lot."  If you have a moment to read it, think about what character YOU would've played.  The lady buying the teddy bear?  The elderly woman?  Or the round-faced man?  Yep.  We all have a story.  I'm doing my best to make my story about KINDNESS.  It's where God has called me.

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy (literally kindness) and to walk humbly with your God."

Micah 6:8