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Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Teaching Giving and Friendliness

 It is hard in the days of wickedness that we live in.
It must be fearful to be a parent in this day and age.
Who can be trusted?
How can you teach friendliness to your children while also teaching about strangers?


My tablet and its happy face is an example of a momma who was/is doing a good job.
I was visiting a local Walmart one early Saturday morning.
As I sat on a bench waiting for hubby to finish some business,
I saw a little boy giving a sticker to someone he met while leaving the store.
It made me smile.
Then I smiled even more as he said to his momma, "I want to give that lady a sticker."  (ME!)
His momma looked a little concerned not wanting to bother me,
but I said "hi" and asked him what he had.
Maybe he received a sheet of stickers from the greeter, or maybe he had picked stickers out in the store.
I asked if he wanted to put it on my shirt.  He didn't.
On my jacket.  He didn't.
He wanted to put it on the back of my hand - my wrist actually.

It was such a simple act, but made my day.
When I got back to the car, I put my sticker on my tablet -
a reminder to be kind and giving to others.

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

But It's A Healthy Fat ...

I am a child of the 80's and definitely remember the "no fat" and "low fat" labels of that decade.
The increase in heart problems in America led to a reaction to remove all fat from our diets in order to be "healthy."
Unfortunately, the experts were wrong.

It is good to avoid or limit saturated fats in the form of beef and bacon,
It is good to avoid transfats in packaged treats.
It is good not to overdo it with butter and cheese.
Moderation is always authorized.

But - there are actually HEALTHY fats.
Olives, nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado, fish ... all full of healthy fats.
These powerhouses are also high in calories and can easily be overeaten if not careful,
but their healthy fats have so many benefits.


Creaky joints? - lubricate them by drinking water and eating healthy fats
Mind a little foggy? - clear it with some healthy fats and boost your mood while you are at it
Cholesterol levels unbalanced? - need to regulate LDL, HDL and triglycerides? - yep, healthy fats will lower LDL and triglycerides and raise HDL
Prediabetic? - manage blood sugar with those healthy fats
Tummy trouble?  70 percent of the immune system is in the gut and healthy fats (especially plant based fats) feed the good bacteria in the stomach and help the stomach do what it is supposed to - break down foods, absorb nutrients, and fight infection
Struggling with overeating? - healthy fats keep you satisfied for longer
Not sleeping well? - healthy fats may improve sleep
Fighting inflammation (allergies, arthritis, frequent sickness, aches and pains)? - healthy fats can help
Struggling with a slowing metabolism?  - again, try a healthy fat to fuel it properly

The low-fat craze might have been a good idea,
EXCEPT that we still wanted our food to taste good.
So, out came the fat, and in went the fillers and sugar!

I prefer to go for some valuable healthy fats.
In fact, today I made some avocado pudding/mousse.
It is DELICIOUS and full of healthy fats and fiber.
It also can be made with more natural sugars (I chose maple syrup)


The pudding is just mashed avocado, cocoa powder, and maple syrup.
If you wanted a little more protein, you could serve it with a dollop of peanut butter.
Or if you need some extra antioxidants,
sprinkle some berries on top.

Two possible recipes:

The recipes call for blenders or food processors,
but if your avocados are ripe, a fork should do the trick.
I recently added a little food processor to my arsenal and it works GREAT for this little treat!

Monday, March 4, 2024

A Public Service Announcement

 Usually, I research EVERYTHING.
It is easy enough to GOOGLE anything and everything,
but sometimes, I just figure that I will trust the experts.

Sometimes, you need to do your own research.

Because we have known so many people who needed blood transfusions,
hubby and I like to donate blood regularly.
Last year, we finally got into a rhythm and were donating almost as often as the Red Cross would let us - about every 8 weeks!
In 7 months, we gave 4 times.

I recently went to the doctor and discovered that I had some very odd blood work.
I had not recuperated from my last giving.
Though not anemic, I was super close
And my oxygen carriers were small and pale.
With a few clicks on the computer,
I found that it is actually recommended that men wait 12 weeks between donations,
and that women wait 16 weeks between donations.
OOPS!

So there is your public service announcement.
Unless you are one of the 1 in 300 who make extra iron,
you may want to ignore some of the Red Cross calls to schedule your donation and give yourself a little extra time to recover.
I know I sure will!

And yes, I am following my own blog advice on building Iron.
Plenty of green leafy veggies, lots of beans, "brown cows," and lots of fish and chicken!
And for awhile, I will make sure that my daily multivitamin has iron.





Friday, March 1, 2024

Do People Still Do That?

 I recently began a new homemaker project - 
and one that I never thought I would do.

I have recently taken to darning socks.

Hubby's work boots appear to "eat" socks, especially at his big toe.


For a while, the bad ones just became cleaning rags.
They were perfect for staining wood or applying polyurethane.
But, then it seemed like I was making sock purchases too often.
Hubby suggested darning the socks.

How hard could it be?

Turns out,
it is not hard.
With a doll head to keep the hole spread and some thicker thread,
the holes were soon fixed.



While it won't be my favorite pastime,
and no one will show my work as a model,
it is prolonging the life of a few socks.

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Are You Ready?

 We don't get an abundance of visitors.
We live outside of the "easy" drive for church friends.
Family gatherings are few and far between.
But I want to feel like my guest room and guest bathroom are ready if someone were to drop in.

This post will not apply to many readers because either
1) you have guests often
or 
2) all of your bathrooms and bedrooms are used regularly

But there may be a few folks who can benefit from this tip.

Keeping the guestroom ready just involves freshening the bedding once a quarter if it has not been used.
For the guest bath, I "rotate" the towels.
My home has a neutral grey tone throughout.
I have chosen to accent with sage and denim blue in all rooms.
So I have 3 sets of towels:
blue, sage, and a deeper sage.


Each Monday when I clean,
I take the towels from the master bath and throw them in the wash.
Then I take the towels from the guest bath (if I have had no company) and put them in the master bath.
Then I take the third set of clean towels and put them in the guest bath.
So weekly, I have freshened the towels for guests.

When I first began homemaking, I would not have been able to do this - 
I had themed bathrooms.
They were so fun and I enjoyed them immensely.
Who doesn't like little fish or rubber duckies?
But I do like the simplicity of being able to use any towel in any bathroom
and even being able to hang them in any bedroom because the colors all coordinate.

Today was one of those longer project days.
Hubby was not going to be home for lunch,
so I could make a mess.
One of my jobs was to clean the "rust" off the lights in the bathroom.
We couldn't believe that there were rust stains already, but ...
...I found this little product and it worked great.




Another job was to get rid of Valentine's and Winter's decor in favor of the Spring decorations.

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

What Does Your Floor Say About Your Diet?

 As I clean on Monday and throughout the week,
I can't help but marvel at how quickly the kitchen floor gets dirty.
It seems that it is always in need of a good sweep.

On Monday, while on my hands and knees,
I looked closely.
My floor says a lot about what we have been eating.


This little snapshot shows a piece of kale, a red onion paper, and a pepper seed.
Often there might also be rice, quinoa, or a stray pistachio or cashew.

The job seems endless,
but as I tidy the floor AGAIN,
I am thankful for the good food that God provides and the energy and strength it gives.

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Spring, Spring, Spring

.

On this particularly grey day,
the cherry blossoms are extra bright and cheery - they almost seemed to glow this morning (at least in real life).
They are the first show of Spring on our property.
It is still a "baby" tree, but this little snatch of Spring is encouraging.

We actually killed a lethargic wasp yesterday probably a queen coming out of hibernation,
I put out 2 hummingbird feeders and a hummingbird swing yesterday,
the robins have been hopping across the lawn,
and I am trying to decide when to break out the mower.
The weather yesterday was just about perfect and we enjoyed a return to a "pleasant" run for our exercise.
Of course, we still have a few more cold snaps,
but we can be thankful for the life that is showing.

Monday, February 19, 2024

We Didn't Forget to Celebrate

 As all faithful readers know,
Saturday was "Donut Day" here.
22 years ago, hubby and I shared our first date at an Italian bakery in Latham, NY.

Since then, we have celebrated each anniversary in February with a donut or two.

Sometimes, I wish that first date had been a bit healthier ... but we have made adjustments as necessary.

Donuts from the freezer section

homemade donuts

Benny's Donuts - Corvallis, OR

Groovy Gus Mini Donuts - Bowling Green, KY

Hubby was actually working out of town on Friday and Saturday.
It seems that the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisvills has slated "Donut Day" each year as one of their show dates (I guess they are not faithful readers).

I did join him at the show on Saturday afternoon with a lunch salad in hand.
He wrapped up his responsibilities around 6 pm and we headed for home.
We arrived home around 8 pm ready to clean up and relax.

Not to miss the celebration,
I prepared the "Donuts."

Due to the lateness of the evening
and some health needs,
the donuts got REALLY healthy this year.


This year, they were apple ring donuts drizzled with almond butter.
Hubby's had a drizzle of chocolate syrup too.
A couple of the "donuts" even had some unsweetened coconut flake sprinkles!

There is always a way to remember the special events.
Life may get busy.
Diets may change.
Don't forget to celebrate the ones you love!


Because I Needed Some "Sunshine"

 As I said last week,
I love Valentine's Day,
but I do recognize that prices are inflated for such a flower and candy-centered holiday.
Hubby often just gets me a helium balloon.
I am as cheered by a balloon as Eeyore (which is surprisingly cheery).
And sometimes a live plant joins the offering.
And thus we avoid some of the gouging.

While I shopped on Friday,
the highly inflated prices were highly deflated.
Since hubby was out of town for 2 days,
I bought myself some $4 sunshine.
(Don't worry, he approved)

And for a few days,
the decor in my bathroom is elevated with some yellow roses!



Thursday, February 15, 2024

Every Good Gift ...

 Jeremiah 10:6
Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; 
thou art great, and thy name is great in might.

It is a week of rejoicing here.
As of Monday, we officially own our home.
Whether we lived in apartments our whole life,
whether we moved from trailer to trailer,
whether we own a home or not,
God is always good and always great.
Yet, this week, we are in awe at His blessing to us.
We know all things are possible,
and yet so often we still limit God.
As we would roam around our neighborhood in Oregon,
we would dream of a home like this.
It seemed like just that - a dream.
But God gave, and gave, and gave.


And what else ...
At the church Christmas program, the church organ broke.
It began playing one note all on its own and would not stop until it was turned off.
It was not particularly useful anymore.
We had been searching for months anyway knowing this organ was not really suitable for the space we had and was probably on its way out.
Last week, God blessed the church with a "new-to-us" organ.
The church that sold it sold it for less than 1/2 of what it was truly worth.
Not only that - the church that sold it was not more than 30 minutes away!