Not Now, Maybe Later

I have quite a few of those jobs.

"MAYBE LATER" jobs!

You probably do to.

I accomplished two of those jobs last week.

The first was the linoleum in the kitchen and bathrooms.
While they do get cleaned weekly,
I realized that I had not really scrubbed / scoured them since we moved in.
It is one of those jobs that doesn't yield a dramatic result,
but it needed to be done.
So out came the vinegar and the baking soda.
Out came the rubbing alcohol to shine it all up.
Was it a huge transformation?
No!
But it needed to be done.

The second was the shower curtain liner.
It was brand new when we moved in and then was scrubbed in February,
but it needed to be done again.
Not my favorite job.
Again, only semi-satisfying results.
But it needed to be done.

I have a few more "maybe later" jobs hanging out.

The entry way that gets covered with spider webs and bugs.
Discouraging because within 2 days it will need doing again.
But it needs to be done.

Curtains need to be washed and pressed again.

Pillows need to be washed and dried.

The refrigerator is in need of a good cleaning.

So what are you putting off?

Why not check one of those items off this week?

And as a little side note:
If you are one of my nieces and nephews reading the blog,
why not grab one of those undesirable jobs this week.
I know you can do it.

What's on Your Plate?

 It has been a long time since I posted some ideas of what we are eating this week.

Our Breakfast meals are the same every day except Friday and Saturday.

Lunch is typically leftovers, sandwich, or salad.

Dinner is the variable (unless you are looking at Sunday night, Wednesday night, or Friday night).
Sunday night is a grilled cheese.
Wednesday night is Breakfast for dinner night because it is usually a little easier to digest while sitting in church.
Friday is our night to have burgers at Burgerville (though it is open for Panera or Jimmy Johns as well)

What's going on this week?

Sunday
Eggs, Avocado Toast, Breakfast Sausage, Fruit
Sausage and Pasta
Grilled Cheese

Monday
Eggs, Avocado Toast, Breakfast Sausage, Fruit
Sausage and Pasta (leftover)
Chicken Taquitos and Smoothies

Tuesday
Yogurt Parfaits
Sausage and Pasta (leftover)
Thai Chicken Pizza

Wednesday
Smoothie
Chef Salad
Sweet Potato Hash

Thursday
Yogurt Parfait
Veggie Egg Salad
Burrito Bowls

Friday
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Chicken Burritos
Burgerville

Saturday
Brunch - BLT
Tilapia, Roasted Broccoli, French fries or mac and cheez

Time for a Reset

 While not totally ignorant in the realm of electronics,
there is always a fair amount of frustration that comes when a device does not work as expected.
My beloved Fitbit is often the prime culprit.
It won't sync.
It won't scroll through the screens.
It is just acting peculiar.
And then it is time for the reset button.
Just the simple act gets the device working as designed.
Something had gotten in the way and need to be cleared.

I feel like life recently has put me in the need of a reset.
It is easy to fill "dead" time with amusements (literally without thoughts).
The "shutdown" gave an "excuse"
but there really is no excuse for not using every moment wisely.

God keeps putting his finger on my heart.
Lessons in Colossians about the new "clothes" or traits that I should be wearing.
Lessons from Philippians on forgetting the past and pressing toward things before me.
Communication with a young woman who was conscientiously curbing her screen time.
The desire to be the best example to those around me while watching some bad habits creep in.

I just need to hit reset.
Clear the clutter.
Choose the best.
Focus on things that are eternal, things that will last.
Practice godly disciplines in time, in thoughts, in Bible Study, Bible Memory, and Prayer.

No, the Tuesday Transformation is not a picture from my house.
It is not a change in my physique.
It is prayerfully a change of mind that leads to a change in action
(yeah, that's the definition of repentance and the basis of a true reset).

This Day in History

 Most of my readers (family and friends) were in the same place on this day in history 2002.

It was a warm, humid day in NY - Latham, NY to be exact.

It is the day that I married my sweetheart.

18 YEARS!

It is hard to believe it.

And yet, so much has happened.

So much has changed.
We have changed as individuals and as a couple.
Hubby laughs when I say something bold or act with confidence.
I don't know if it is age or his influence on me, but I am more outspoken then I was back then.
Our first year (ok, our first 5 years of marriage) was spent on the go.
If hubby was not working, we were exploring.
Today, the perfect weekend is a "wog" together, brunch, and peace and quiet.
We are happily "homebodies."
We have made cross country moves 3 times,
lived in 4 states,
lived in apartments, trailers, and duplexes.

And some things haven't changed.
Our home is typically still quiet, just the two of us.
Despite our ideas, the Lord never opened the door for "full-time" ministry.
And we still enjoy being a couple and spending time together.

We celebrated on Saturday.
Yes, there was a "wog."
There was a brunch.
We mini golfed for the first time in years (we think since NY 2003).
We enjoyed cold brew coffee lattes at home.
And I made shrimp scampi and blackberry lemon bars for our celebratory dinner.

The lemon bars are perfect for a summer evening and the blackberries are plentiful right now.

Ingredients

CRUST:

1 cup Gluten-free rolled oats 

½ cup almonds

1 tablespoon coconut sugar

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil or butter

2-4 tablespoons cold water (start with LESS, add more if needed)

FILLING:

4 eggs

½ cup maple syrup

½  cup lemon juice (fresh is best_

3 tablespoons coconut flour 

1.5 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel

pinch of salt

1½ cup fresh blackberries (blueberries or raspberries can be used instead)

Instructions

CRUST:

Preheat oven to 350F.
To make the crust, combine oats, almonds, sugar, and salt in a food processor.
Blend until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add oil and then add water one tablespoon at a time, blend just until mixture comes together.
It should easily press together, but not be overly wet.
Sometimes it may only take 2-3 tablespoons, so it's important not to add all of the water at once.

Press mixture into the bottom of a well-greased 8x8-inch pan.
Bake in the 350F oven for 10 minutes.
Remove and let cool while you make the lemon filling.

LEMON FILLING:

In a blender or processor, add eggs, honey/maple syrup, lemon juice, coconut flour, lemon peel, and salt.
Blend until smooth.
 Carefully pour mixture over the oat crust and sprinkle berries evenly over the filling.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until edges are golden brown and the filling in the middle has set.
Remove and let cool before placing in the refrigerator.
Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
Cut into squares and serve chilled.
Store remaining bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Things That are Different are Not the Same 6

 Legal Drugs.

It's not the only state that has voted in recreational drugs, 
but it is the first one that we have lived in.

It is common to see the dispensary symbol (a green cross) around the area.

There are at least 5 dispensaries in our little town.

Time Away

 I know,
I returned only to disappear ...
but I had good reason.

Last Friday,
we pulled one of those silly road trips ...
you know, the one where you drive 8 hours
to spend 36 hours
to drive another 8 hours.

That leads me to a "Thankful Thursday" post.
I am thankful for a change of scenery, time away, and time with family.

We spent last weekend in Boise, ID.
We went to see family
including meeting a new nephew-in-law and 2 great-nephews.

We were primarily visiting a hubby's sister who is more like a second mom.
And yes, we were spoiled over the weekend.
She is also gluten and dairy-free, so no real traps to avoid in the food department,
they introduced us to a great flatbread restaurant
and treated us with time on the water.
We hit the water early to avoid a busy waterway (and less than half-dressed people).
It was chilly and the water choppy when we started,
but it calmed down and warmed up before too long.
(The highs in Boise while we were there were 105-110)

All in all - a good trip.

But it did take a bit to catch up from the weekend
plus we are in the process of updating some technology around the house
which also takes so extra time
thus my extended absence.

Not Forgotten

It is a Thankful Thursday!

Yes, even in the midst of Covid-19 and protests and election cycles,

there is always something to be thankful for.

Today, I am thankful for the "rememberers" of others.

We have moved a couple of times

and there are always tears and promises made at the time of separation.

 "We'll keep in touch!"

Often times, within a year, the communication dies off.

There is something to "out of sight, out of mind."

There is a necessity to meeting needs and ministering to those near to you.

But even in the last week,

I have received two cards and multiple texts from North Carolina.

I have had a message from a friend from my "growing up" years.

There is a certain blessing in being remembered

and for that, I wish to be thankful.

I also want to be thankful again for the zucchini given to me.

The muffins mentioned in Monday's post were really good.

I'm Sorry --- I Can't Be Proud of You

How many times do we hear it?

I'm so proud of you!

I'm proud of what I have accomplished!

I'm proud to be an American!

I'm proud of the stands I have taken!

I'm proud of my work!

I'm proud of my children!

But the Bible has nothing good to say about pride.

In fact, God resists the proud.

Perhaps He even gives thorns to help us resist pride.

II Corinthians 12:7

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, 

there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, 

the messenger of Satan to buffet me, 

lest I should be exalted above measure.

Paul easily could have been lifted up in pride.

Indeed, he was a great apostle, writer, teacher of doctrine.

He even listed his titles and accomplishments and were they not impressive?

He felt that His thorn kept Him from being lifted up.

Hubby and I were reading a book the other night about the Spurgeons.

Mr. Spurgeon - "the prince of preachers" - and yet the author relayed an incident in his early preaching ministry that stuck with him the rest of his life and perhaps held his ministry back.

It made us think of Paul's verse about his thorn.

I can think of  MANY areas that I struggle with in the area of pride.

I can also think of "thorns" that help me to keep those areas of pride in check (sometimes😖)

For years, I have excused it as semantics.

I said "proud" but I meant thankful, I meant pleased, I meant ...

but I don't anymore.

All things are supposed to bring glory to God, not me.

Perhaps we should use Bible phrases ...

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."

 "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake."

"But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord."

Think about it!

Would it be so bad to erase it from our vocabulary?

Do we really want to be described as proud?

Some Change

Multiple Meanings Ahead

It seems like there is change occurring all around us each day.

New rules, new policies, new stats ...

Right now America is going through a change shortage.

The signs in the store requiring exact change or credit and debit only are odd.

I am still earning some change daily.

If you have been reading long, you know that I love my Fitbit.

They should hire me to be an Ambassador for them.

I love the accountability and the challenge it gives me.

It has helped me to learn about my health and fitness.

Did you know that it tells me when I am getting sick?

Yes, my resting heart rate will skyrocket (at least 5 beats per minute)  a day or so before I go down.

The Fitbit also earns me money!

There is a website that lets you earn money for tracking your steps, your weight, your food, your water.

Whether you use a Fitbit, a Garmin, myfitnesspal, mapmyrun...

you just link it and earn points.

I earn about 500 points a week,

and after I earn 10,000 points,

they deposit $10 into my Paypal account.

Since we have two trackers in the house,

it is a fun little surprise every couple of months.

We have used the Achievement website for over 3 years with no problems.

If you are interested (and comfortable with the sharing of this type of information) and sign up using one of the links below, both of us get 100 points.

http://tinyurl.com/yxquyjfl

http://tinyurl.com/us4whla

And while we are on the topic,

hubby and I updated our trackers earlier in the year.

We have two trackers that are still perfectly usable and with multiple bands for each.

Check them out ... the Alta HR and the Charge HR

If you are interested, just comment or get in touch with me by text or email if you know me personally.

We would be happy to mail them off!

We will send them individually

but would be happy if they helped a couple or a family to challenge each other😀

**UPDATE**
the trackers have been claimed!

Don't mind the excess ...

It is not quite National Zucchini Day,

but it does appear that they are in season in these parts.

"August 8 Zucchini Day

Sneak Some Zucchini Into Your Neighbor's Porch Day on August 8th offers gardeners a way to rid themselves of extra produce. For some, this day offers a way to rid their garden of an overproducing squash plan."

No one has to sneak it on my porch.
I will make use of it.
In fact, a church friend brought some to share last Wednesday.
And aren't they so much prettier when the boy working in produce has not used it like a baseball bat?

We enjoyed it in our hash on Saturday.
We enjoyed "Faux Crab Cakes" made with zucchini tonight.
And tomorrow I will try a new muffin recipe complete with zucchini, applesauce, dates as the sweetener ...
sounds like a winner.
I am just in zucchini spirits because just writing these ideas makes me long to put some dish with zoodles (zucchini noodles) on the menu this week.

Hope you are enjoying some of the fresh fruits and veggies of the seasons.
The blackberries are just about ready here in town.
In fact, it is a struggle to pass so many as we walk to and from town - I just want to stop and snack! - I just have to find a good place to pick and a good time to do it.  In the PNW, they grow like weeds!  Then it will be time for a pie, I think.