Author: QuiltLady
ROUND ROBIN PHOTO CHALLENEGE
I found this over at a friend’s blog, Martha at Seaside Simplicity. She inspired the topic for today’s Round Robin Photo Challenge for Saturday, January 26th – Long Ago, Far Away – so I’ decided to join the fun.
Here is your chance to get all nostalgic, photographically! Maybe it’s a photo you took with your first, cheap camera when you were 12 years old. Maybe it’s a photo you just took of a person, place or thing from your childhood. Maybe it’s something from longer ago or farther away than that: a castle or cathedral you photographed on a trip overseas, a dinosaur skeleton, or a distant constellation of stars, the light from which has taken years to reach us. If it was long ago or far away or both, it counts! All I ask is that it be a photo you took yourself, whether it was 40 years ago or five minutes ago.
Happy times! This is my aunt who recently passed with me and her daughter Jenn at one of our favorite places, Galveston Island. All our lives Jenn and I would go down there and collect shells off the beach. It isn’t that easy these days with the weird growth along the shore line, but back then we walk on the sea wall, collect shells from the water’s edge and just basque in the winter water. You can’t see it in this pictures, but we’re barefoot LOL I’m holding my socks. I also still have every shell that I keep in a crystal bowl. Sharon had Parkinsons disease. Her mobility continued to go downhill from here so this is the last picture I have of us having fun. Thank goodness for tripods and timers so we could all be in the picture together.
A STORY THAT NEEDS TO BE SHARED… Grandmother Says… Carrots, Eggs, or Coffee; “Which are you?”
A young woman went to her grandmother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.
Her grandmother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her granddaughter, she asked, “Tell me what do you see?”
“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.
She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they got soft.She then asked her to take an egg and break it.
After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.
Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The granddaughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma. The granddaughter then asked. “What’s the point,grandmother?”
Her grandmother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity–boiling water–but each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.
“Which are you?” she asked her granddaughter.
“When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”
Think of this: Which am I?
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff?
Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate to another level?
—AUTHOR UNKNOWN
LEMON PARMESAN CHICKEN
PARMESAN CHICKEN
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
4 teaspoons Italian bread crumbs
- Preheat oven to 425˚.
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice and one half of the Parmesan cheese,
- Spread each piece of chicken with the mayonnaise mixture.
- Sprinkle with bread crumbs and remaining cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and tops are golden.
A-Z Blogging Challenge
FLASHBACK FRIDAY
I am playing along with Martha at Seaside Simplicity with the meme Flashback Friday. Come join in on the fun and link up your photo.
LOL this picture is from a million years ago – (note to self – never get a perm again in my life!). My brother and I opened each others Christmas gift and were trading. Love how we dressed for the holiday.
WEEKLY MENU
Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie
| DATE | BREAKFAST | LUNCH | DINNER | |
| Monday | 1/21 | Cereal | Sandwiches | Country Bistro |
| Tuesday | 1/22 |
Toast | C.O.R.N. | Parmesan Crusted Chicken |
| Wednesday | 1/23 |
Yogurt | Soup | Baked Potatoes w/ Shallot-Corn Butter |
| Thursday | 1/24 |
Fruit | Cheese & Fruit | |
| Friday | 1/25 |
Oatmeal | Sandwiches | |
| Saturday | 1/26 |
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| Sunday | 1/27 |
C.OR.N. |
DESIGNING MY DREAM LIFE
I found this great opportunity over at Seaside Simplicity and jumped at the chance to join Martha and Sandy over at Hob Nobbers. Sandy is hosting a great little workshop, Live Your Dream Life Now. I really needed the motivation to start off 2013 right!
WEEK 1: SELF DISCOVERY
- ACHIEVEMENTS 10-20
- TALENTS/STRENGTHS/ABILITIES
- HOBBIES/INTERESTS/ACTIVITIES/FUN
- 5 PRIORITIES IN MY LIFE
- 5 THINGS THAT MAKE ME SMILE
- VALUES
- OBITUARIES
WEEK 2: DESIGNING MY DREAM LIFE – DETAILED DESCRIPTION IN PRESENT TENSE USING YOUR VALUES, PRIORITIES, TALENTS & GIFTS FROM LAST WEEK’S SESSION AND FOCUSING ON THE POSITIVE
- DREAM BIG
- MONEY IS NO OBJECT
- LIVING HOW YOU WANT
- LIVING WHERE YOU WANT
- DOING WHAT YOU WANT
DESCRIBE:
- WHERE YOU LIVE – ATMOSPHERE, FURNISHINGS, LANDSCAPING, LOCATION, ETC…
- YOUR JOB
- HOW YOU SPEND YOUR TIME
- WHAT YOU DO FOR FUN
- HOW YOU VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME
- YOUR FAMILY LIFE
- ETC…
WEEK 3: UNDERSTANDING MY DREAM LIFE – PROS & PROS LIST
- MAKE 2 COLUMNS – TITLE THEM DREAM LIST & WHY
- TRY TO GET TO THE UNDERLYING “WHY”, NOT JUST THE SURFACE
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE!
What are you waiting for, head over to sign up too!
MY DAYBOOK for HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY
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| Diary of a Stay at Home Mom |
Outside my window/WEATHER… a VERY little sun is peeking through beautiful fluffy clouds. I pray it wins and the clouds lose today.
I am thinking… it’s a going to be a busy day as we paint the family room, a huge room! Fortunately we have moved all the books and dust collectors as well as the wall pieces to another room already.
I am thankful… for my family and their love.
In the kitchen… we have a few more new recipes still brewing for the January menu.
I’ll post the successful ones on my food blog ALWAYS EAT ON THE GOOD CHINA.
- Salad w/ Poppy Seed Tarragon Creme Fraiche’ dressing
- Baked Potatoes w/ Shallot Corn Butter
- Kentucky Hot Browns
- Cream of Tomato Soup w/ Rice
- Cream of Vegetable Soup
- Pork Chops w/ Roasted Apple & Onions
I’M WEARING… my daily PAINT uniform LOL – purple yoga paints (covered in paint already), a black t-shirt and paint covered Life is good anklets.
I’M CREATING… some quilt pieces that have been needing finished for a while (I just have problems sitting for any length of time due to the scar tissue from my cancer surgery), Christmas gifts for next year – quit laughing, these things take time and I’m also creating some new recipes.
Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie
MENU THIS WEEK:
MONDAY – BEEF BARLEY STEW & PARMESAN CORN MUFFINS
TUESDAY – CREAM OF VEGETABLE SOUP
WEDNESDAY – PAPRIKA POT ROAST
THURSDAY – C.O.R.N.
FRIDAY – CREAM OF CELERY SOUP w/ GORGONZOLA CREAM & PARMESAN CROUTONS
SATURDAY – BAKED POTATOES w/ SHALLOT CORN BUTTER
SUNDAY – KENTUCKY HOT BROWNS
I am going… nowhere until I’m done scanning in ALL the VA documents and composing more letters to our congressman in hopes of clearing things up – yay, like that’s going to happen, but I have to follow procedure. For every step forward we seem to take 3 backwards!
I am wondering… just who to contact next regarding the VA mess. The appointment we made last was for today – now I’m informed they are taking the holiday off instead – seems like we’re always starting over.
MY READING LIST…
- Cook’s Illustrated The Science of Good Cooking
- The 4 Hour Chef
- 1105 Yakima by Debbie Macomber
MY TV LINEUP THIS WEEK… ALL ON DVR SO I CAN SKIP THE COMMERCIALS LATER
- BUNHEADS
- SWITCHED AT BIRTH
- HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
- BONES
- CASTLE
- NCIS
- NCIS LOS ANGELES
- RISSOLI & ISLES
- VEGAS
- CRIMINAL MINDS
- ARROW
- L & O SVU
- CHICAGO FIRE
- BIG BANG THEORY
- PERSON OF INTEREST
- SCANDAL
- ELEMENTARY
- BEAUTY & THE BEAST
- CSI NY
- ONCE UPON A TIME
- THE GOOD WIFE
- THE MENTALIST
I am hoping… things turn around soon
I am looking forward to… getting away for a few days next month.
I am learning… how to be patient, but also how to squeak the wheel for oil!
Around the house… rooms are being painted, baseboards are getting painted and fine dusting is being done.
I am praying… to live in the day and not worry about the future as much.
A favorite quote for today…
Dreams are only thoughts you didn’t have time
to think about during the day.
~Author Unknown
SOME my favorite things
- my morning coffee
- my new kindle
- the laundry being done
- the grocery shopping being done
MY TO DO LIST
- Creating a few new recipes
- getting into a new exercise routine to keep getting my energy back
- laundry
- grocery store
- research
- blog catch up.
Favorite picture from my camera this week… this guy has been hanging around for several weeks. I’ve been trying to get a picture of him in the backyard, but he’s always too quick for me. I did catch him on the power pole out back though. He loves to annoy the dogs!
GROW YOUR BLOG AND MEET NEW FRIENDS
Vicki at 2 Bags Full is hosting a blog party for bloggers to get to know one another and grow their blog.
Go here to find interesting blogs to read! There are about 400 blogs signed up and most are offering Give-Aways! My Give-Away prize will be posted later this week! So check back! It’s too late to sign up on her blog, but not too late to visit the blogs already listed or offer your own up when you visit theirs.
In the meantime… sign up to WIN by following my blog! I promise the GIVE-AWAY PRIZE will be worth your while!
HINT: It will be quilt related!
You must sign up on THIS POST to be entered.
Following my blog will give you a second entry.
Be sure and leave your email if necessary for contact.
So here’s MY story:
I began this blog to keep sanity while renovating an investment house. I started this as a place to relieve the stress, but quickly became addicted as I met more and more bloggers and developed friendships that are irreplaceable! Blogging has become a way of life for me and I love it!
Beyond keeping everyone posted about our renovations and stumbling blocks I also post about my adventures in the kitchen, quilting, life in general and whatever ends up filling my days.
POSTAL SERVICE STINKS WORSE THAN EVER
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| Image Credit |
I don’t think there is anyone that can say they have never had a problem with the postal service. Living in small towns seems to be worse than large ones in my opinion.
Several Weeks ago I mailed a priority envelope to my mother with delivery confirmation. Should have been delivered 2 days later. It didn’t arrive so we did a search and long story short 10 days later it finally arrived after taking the scenic tour through San Bernardino and Anaheim multiple times. It seemed to always be leaving “somewhere”, but never arriving anywhere. When I asked the postmaster about it and getting my money back because service wasn’t as promised, she told me it was my responsibility to have comeback sooner so she could call and nudge it along? Really WTH? Since it never really was anywhere because it had always just left, how exactly do you nudge it along? Needless to say I did not get my money back.
Last week while I was waiting to mail a another priority envelope I overheard the woman at the front of the line trying to give a large stack of mail to the Postmaster because it wasn’t hers. It had been delivered as a forward to her house, BUT she doesn’t have a clue who the addressee is. The Postmaster kept insisting that it was the homeowners responsibility to get in touch with the addressee. WTH? Perhaps the mistake was made by the person who input the address change into the postal computer? Perhaps the addressee misspelled a street or transposed the numbers – EITHER WAY – it was the postmasters responsibility to accept the mail and say we’ll figure this out and stop it from happening.
Flash forward to this week. I opened my PO box to discover a crumpled up envelope. On the end it had a sticker that read “RECEIVED UNSEALED IN EUGENE P&DF”, whatever that means. Inside were 2 crumpled invoices – 1 in a oriental language and another addressed to Tricia Eagen in Eugene from KUTA DENPASAR? No clue what these are.
When I asked the Postmaster I had to identify what was in the envelope. Fortunately the return address was intact so I identified the contents and was presented with these beautiful hand knit dish cloths from my sweet friend Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Thank you my dear friend, I love them!
TAILGATING TIME 4.0
Welcome to the 4th annual Tailgating Time!
Yep, it’s that time again – time for football food, coolers full of cold ones, and the big game-day buffet. Bring over your chips and dips, chili and chowders, all your wings and party things! Since the Super Bowl is exactly 4 weeks from today I thought I’d get the linky up so we can all start adding our favorites. We all want to have lots of great party foods to chose from for the big day!
The Tailgating Time blog hop will be open from noon today until February 10th, one week after Super Bowl 2013 to give you plenty of time to link up all your favorites. Your links do not have to be new ones – think appetizers and party foods you’ve posted throughout the year. Link any goodies from holidays, celebrations, tailgating treats through football season, or anything that would go great for a Super Bowl party. There is no limit to the amount of links you add, the more the merrier! This year I’m also enabling voting for your favorite recipes. The voting will be open February 10th at noon and ending on February 17th at noon.
If you’d like to host Tailgating Time – Super Bowl 2013 on your own blog just click the following – get the InLinkz code. Don’t just join the party, host the hop too! This is going to be fun 🙂
It’s time to get this party started!