RECIPE FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Take 12 fine, full-grown months; and
see that these are thoroughly cleansed from all old memories of bitterness, rancor, hate, and jealousy.

Cut these months into 30 or 31 equal parts.

Prepare one day at a time as follows:
Into each day, put 12 parts of faith, 11 of patience, 10 of courage, nine of work (some people omit this ingredient and spoil the flavor of the rest), eight of hope, seven of fidelity, six of open-mindedness, five of kindness, four of rest (leaving this out is like leaving the oil out of the salad-don't do it), three of prayer, two of meditation, and one of well-selected resolution.

If you have no conscientious scruples, add a teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor.

Pour love liberally into the whole, and mix with vim. Cook thoroughly in a fervent heat. Garnish with a few smiles and a sprig of joy; then serve with quietness, unselfishness, and cheerfulness-and a Happy New Year is a certainty.
Author Unknown

MEME SLIPPING IN ......with Recipe

• Getting behind with my blog and tales
• today was warmer here in cold Alberta
• we got up to minus 8C with the wind chill of minus 15C
• I did go for my walk
• Meme's Banana Bread
• -------------------------
• 1/2 cup shortening-
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• I tablespoon milk or cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 mashed ripe bananas
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped (fine) walnuts
• or I have also used chopped almonds-
• cream shortening and sugar--add eggs, milk, mashed bananas and vanilla, add flour, soda, and salt- Mix well and add nuts - finish mixing and put in a greased loaf pan for about 1 hour at 325F. Cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan= when cool you can slice and freeze slices for bag lunches etc- they will be thawed in time for lunch.
• enjoy
• huggles Meme

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

• Peeking in for a moment just to say I wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS
• I am fine but on the busy side due to sewer problems
• which are now fixed
• had a nice day here but still very cold
• however the wind has stopped blowing
• I will send a note tomorrow unless I get lost in a snow drift
• take care of each other
• hug some one today
• the best gift you can give is ''your self-
• blessings from Meme

skipping days..

no, did not forget my password again
but just busy staying warm in our very minus temperatures
Alberta is cold all over
and I lost a day in time
but now I am here- trying to come up with a story
I have not finished shopping yet and now it may be too cold --LOL
maybe on Monday I will stroll the streets and check out some of our little stores
I miss papa taking me to the city but I do not miss the long lines and the traffic jams
yesterday I popped into one of our stores and our line up was only 3 people long
that is my kind of line up-
it is true that we do not have everything here but we have what one really needs
yesterday was also the anniversary day to hear that papa david had terminal cancer --one year ago on December 19
terminal is a big word when added to cancer
it takes a lot of hope out of the equation
but we still had some hope and we kept the faith
I am not happy with the outcome - I miss him so much
and I have the realization that he will not walk in the door again
on on this earth
I also have the comfort of knowing that he is with the Lord
and what ever and how ever the Lord has all things planned
I know that I will see him again
but oh how much I miss him here
the weather is a damper on my spirits as I become a shut in
as with the wind chill it is too cold to walk far
but spring is coming under all the snow
it is sleeping but will return again
take care and Meme will pay more attention to her wonderings
and make sure I check in sooner than later
thank you for your comments
they help me
there is a couple of blogs that I have trouble leaving a message at ??
not sure why- but I do read and think and pray for you
huggles me, Meme who is cold ====
BBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Here I am..just late

• I have been busy and cold and speechless
• here we are getting very cold temps with strong winds
• so this old house and this old woman are/is cold
• and I have just not been able to get to the net
• until later in the evening
• so I run out of time to report in
• I am ok and making my way through
• the season ok- I have not done the shopping yet
• but as it will only be in this little town
• it is ok to wait
• no wild cities for me this year
• if I take time I can manage to find
• some very good things
• here at prices with in reason and have
• no gas money expenses
• take care and Meme will call in soon
• huggles from a very cold Alberta-

oldie from april 2007 plus recipe

A CUP OF JOY--#5
Joy comes in the little things we are blessed with each day. Joy moves beyond being happy. Joy is the peace of understanding that God is love- Joy comes in small surprise packages each day. All we have to do is --open'' them.
I found this poem while cleaning and I wanted to share it with you:'

LITTLE THINGS
'Dear God, please give to meA thankful heart for little things-
For sunshine on my kitchen floor
For news the postman brings;
For memories in the making,
Things the children say and do,
That I will smile about, perhapsSome future quiet day.
Grant me appreciation
Of the small joys that are mine-
The special birthday parties,
My honeysuckle vine;
The clean, fresh smellOf clothes just washed;
The ivy on my wall,
The children's thrilled delight
To wake and find the first snowfall.
For robins in the springtime,
And autumn's crispy weather-
For leaves that crunch,
Friends in for lunch
And laughter shared together.
Give me enthusiasm
To greet each brand new day
With honest joy in livingAs I go my simple way;
Let me love the little things
and thank our Father when I pray.
----------------------------------------------------------------
---Joy Recipe:

Mexicali Beef Stew
2 pounds beef stew meat,
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 large onion chopped(optional)
4 cups beef broth
1 cup of medium salsa sauce
2 cups chopped carrots
1 cups chopped potatoes
and1 cup kernel corn(frozen but let thaw)
2 cups diced canned tomatoes(drain but save juice_)
2 teaspoons chili powder
dash of pepper------
Heat oil in dutch oven and add meat and onion.
Brown meat evenly and- Stir in broth and sauce and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for approx. 2 hours-
or oven at 300 degrees for 2 hours
Add carrots, corn and potatoes - cover and simmer for approx. 30 minutes.
Drain and
stir in tomatoes and heat through.
Thicken with 4 teaspoons of cornstarch and tomato juice.
Stir and heat for 5 minutes.--------------------

Huggles me, Marilyn Christine (Meme)
'Some days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway.' --

A PART OF MY DAY---

• it is snowing and everything looks so clean outside
• Dogman ran out and made tracks all over the balcony
• it is warm enough for him to like the snow
• shut the door on my finger today and
• ouch- it still hurts --(cheese please )
• I had to clean my room again as I could not get into
• bed with all my books
• I tend to read and use different bibles
• and then tuck them in too but after
• awhile they add up along with other
• book reading== maybe it is a small way for me
• to cuddle papa David right now
• I love books and he loved that I loved books
• he learned to read after we were married
• as it was the best method for understanding me--LOL
• someday when I meet papa again I will also meet
• our Shepherd in person and I want to touch his scars
• that He obtained so that I through Him I can
• be with papa hubby again-
• cherish today
• huggles me, Meme

sharing an old writing from 2006

When brother and I were kids back in the fifties Christmas was an exciting and magic time for us- our favorite part was putting up the Christmas tree.
We did not
put our tree up until the close to December 24.
Daddy would go out into our grove of trees where we had a both of poplar and spruce trees.
Trees were needed on the farm as they not only served as a wind break but they were our source of our heat. We did not cut down trees-unnecessarily or carelessly. They were too important to our way of live. All the trees had a job to do. Daddy never picked a perfect tree that would grow high and strong- He would find a small tree that was weak and perhaps only had a few branches on one side but filled on the front side. The back side did not matter as it did not show in the corner when it was decorated.
No matter what tree daddy found it was the most beautiful tree in our eyes as a child' No matter how imperfect it was to others it was perfect to us. Daddy choose the imperfect tree knowing that we would love and enjoy our Christmas tree .
He knew that even if it was small and weak we could still use it for decorating and sharing gifts around. When the tree was done bringing us Christmas joy we put it in our front yard where the rest of the winter it served as a bird feeder. Next fall when it had dried and shed its needles it was used for fire wood. That tree was useful in many ways.
Jesus accepted me in my imperfect ways and loved me while I was still a sinner. He did not choose me for my perfections. To Him I was beautiful and worthy to used. He did not throw me a way because I was not perfect. He decorated me with his Love and Peace and Joy and Hope. I am useful . Maybe you feel weak and broken and of no use. God will not throw you away because you have challenges or problems. We can shine for Jesus even when our back is up against the wall.
"Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received." ~1 Peter 4:10
We can be thankful for whatever imperfections we have. We can perform, in the little things, as a faithful servant to God and others. We can be doers of God's word, not just hearers. Every day brings a new opportunity to be used.
PRAYING IN CANADA
HUGGLES ME, MARILYN CHRISTINE
MERRY CHRISTMAS-

12/5

Freeze your own bread dough for another day

• this is from an old blog I had and I thought I would start bringing most of the material from over there to here- and delete the old blog =so enjoy- this blog was written before dear hubby's cancer so occasionally I may say something about him and I do not want to delete or rewrite the blog posts so bare or is that bear with me--hugs
• ------------------------------------------
• Make the bread recipe all the way through to the first rise, punching down and forming the loaves or rolls and placing them in the prepared pans.( I generally remove the dough after it has frozen in order to have the pans free- this is great for buns and beats the store prices=
• Now instead of allowing the dough to make the second rise, wrap it with plastic wrap tightly and place in the freezer.
• When you want to bake, you need to plan ahead .
• Take from freezer, remove the plastic wrap and set out at room temperature to thaw. If not in pans, place in same size pan as loaf- It will take about three hours for the dough to thaw and another hour or more for the dough to reach the desired rise Then just pop it into the preheated oven as directed by your recipe.
• I find the dough keeps well for 3 months- I have only worked with homemade white or brown bread recipes ----
• HUGGLES ME, ( MEME) **PAPA'S WIFE**MARILYN CHRISTINE
• The kindness you spread today will be gathered up and returned to you

ideas for finding urls?

this is my url--

http://acupofsimplicity.blogspot.com/ but what I need to know is how do I put someone

elses url into my blog so I can tag someone= sigh- Meme just does not get it=== are there places where a friends url is that I can copy and paste and is that a right and fair thing to do or do I ask the blogger first ??

Meme is lost in blogger--- this is my friend who tagged me
but I copied and pasted from her blog to get this url ==
http://dzintrastitcheries.blogspot.com/

7 things about Meme

1. I have to come up with 7 things about me that you may not know as I have been tagged ==I will have to be an open book= so here is number 1--sadly I am not too crafty so that will not be number one- so here goes:: I do not drive and never have although I do have a learner's permit but my eyes are too bad for me to be comfortable driving so out of respect for others I made a decision not to drive- it would be nice for me now but I still will not ....



2. I love the Lord and made Him my shepherd in 1987 watching a Billy Graham on TV and 3 weeks later my husband committed his life to the Lord at a local church= there is no turning back



3. I have helped raise one of my grand daughters who now lives with me although I told her tonight if she brings in more stuff into her room- I will have to put her in storage--LOL--Her name is Miss Ashley



4. Most of you will know this part- I became a widow this summer after the angels came and took dear hubby home to Jesus= I miss him but I know that I also rejoice as he is home with his Lord= he signed his checks -Jesus Christ Saves - you can do that in Canada if you go to the bank and sign for a special signature- it was his way of witnessing and yes, he was often asked about his signature and no one refused his checks



5. I hate to cook- and baking, even more-- but I will strike out now and then and make something= and no, papa did not die of my cooking--it is ok now for me to make a soft joke about my sweetheart- I can hear him laughing too



6. I weigh a bit less than a 100 pounds - and have most of my life- I did get bigger when I was expecting but it has always disappeared but the babies stayed and stayed-----2 daughters who gave me 3 grandchildren each --my health is not good but it is not bad bad either =the Lord is my Shepherd



7. I love to read and read and read and also write some- my writing times are off right now but the grief keeps my mind busy yet- I also like to study the bible and can stay awake away past bedtime when I have a good book - and you will notice- I tend to write like a talk and miss out most commas- I color outside the lines :-)

I will have to find out how to tag but for tonight I will just share and then I will be finding out more for you and me from 7 somebodies - this lady tagged me but I do not know if this is the right way to give you her address- Queen of the Armchair aka dzintrastitcheries ==I am going to have to learn how to do the tagging soon

just for today===

yesterday was one of those days that you do not write home about-
so I am not going to tell you all either-- in case you write want to write home
about it --LOL
I missed papa's support yesterday and the little things he did for me==he took delight in little things like a plant flowering or the sunsets or a one pot supper=
supper time was his favorite meal- so I tried to cook special even when the meal was plain and simple--
to day was a better day- and I did get some things done
like cleaning my room again
since the kidlet moved in- Meme's bedroom is sort of a storage room/bedroom- if you don't
know what it is or where to put and if all else fails- put it in Oma's room (smile)
did the church chores and this and that here as
teen-agers can do a lot of droppings around the house

it is quite an adjustment from papa to Miss Ashley
but we are both muddling through and we are having
a good time
we both miss papa being here but we are now getting more content-because he is in our hearts

good night, everyone-huggles me, Meme aka Oma

winning wednesday

• just a short blog today as I had a lot to do and did done it all
• one more thing off my plate
• and I did use grace today to get me through the list
• here is has turned quite cold although the day time was
• beautiful and I even managed to go with out a coat
• for a little while and yes
• I did keep my sweater on so that I did not get a chill
• will be off tomorrow here but will be back Friday
• no room left on the list to blog
• but another list and day will come
• hugs from MEME

TUESDAY WITH MEME...

• a quiet day but I did walk to the bank as the weather was nice
• then went to seniors supper as Miss Ashley had to work
• I am thinking about how simplicity is more than just a life style but
• also an attitude of the heart-
• especially at this time of year with Christmas nearly here
• we end up doing so many things that we not only forget
• the reason for the season but we miss the joy...
• and often set ourselves up for financial worries in the New Year
• I remember how simple our Christmas was at the farm
• and yet we still had so much to be thankful for...
• we always had a good meal and a few gifts and our tree
• was from our forest- fresh cut- with the same decorations
• and then used as a bird feeder after
• the time in the house
• and a box of Christmas oranges- one box and one box of
• candy canes- for the following cold winter nights-
• I learned that you always ate the orange first or the sweetness
• from the candy cane would make the orange taste sour
• I learned that a candy cane can last a day and a night
• I miss those old fashioned Christmas times where
• the month of November was baking month so we could
• share gifts with the neighbors that were simple and good
• -maybe the recession that we are hearing of
• will bring back the simplicity of Christmas
• and if not--
• I can still do my part to share the reason for the season
• huggles me
• Meme aka Oma

stewed

• today I cooked up a big pot of stew meat with a sauce made with
• chicken broth( I was out of beef) and tomato soup( and equal water )
• plus our
• favorite spices
• then I made a small stew for supper and enough leftover
• for tomorrow's dinner and
• I froze the rest of the stew and sauce=
• this way we can make up different stews as we feel like
• this will take care of many meals for the kid and I
• I find this works better than making the whole stew
• and freezing and seems to keep fresher-
• I have done this with chicken also and then have
• been able to make quick chicken dinners but all different
• I cannot tell any difference using the chicken broth
• in place of beef broth
• I did toss in a teaspoon of instant coffee to darken the color
• it was an adventure and turned out well
• I hope that I am helping Miss Ashley learn some things
• for her future-
• I know that I can handle a recession as I know how to live
• in a recession- the young folk don't understand that you can
• change your life style and still enjoy life----and sometimes
• a little work beyond a can-opener is fun and a good thing

huggles me, Meme

THURSDAY THOUGHTS-

• a cold wind bloweth
• too cold to do any walking
• so did some sorting
• that I have been saving for
• SOMEDAY which turned out
• to be today.......
• shredded and tossed and saved
• and there is more for another someday
• found some old pictures of us
• before the cancer came to papa
• it was good to see us as we were
• and bittersweet
• most of the stuff is the kind
• of stuff you keep because
• you are unsure what to really do with it.......
• most applied to us before cancer
• other than that I just did some of the usual
• chores that seem to come every morning
• and will be back tomorrow
• take care and see you soon
• huggles me, Meme

TUESDAY WITH MEME

a better weather day here until tonight as we are getting rain/snow which
makes the highways bad
today was better emotionally than the last 3 days
I guess grief is like that-- some hard lows and soft highs
made a list today and did get 8 out of 10 done
which is good for me as I often go off list==
I did do some things not listed also
now the kid and I (mostly me) are doing a load of laundry(off list)
as she works again tomorrow
she says she can not wash her work clothes as clean as Oma
her friends all want to know how she keeps such a clean top
and she said she uses Oma--LOL
I think she just knows how to bribe Oma
so glad we have a washer and dryer as opposed to the old days
well, that took care of my day
and tomorrow is a new day
huggles me, Meme aka Oma
Huggles me,
Meme aka Oma
===============================
Lord, grant that I may seek to comfort rather than be comforted.(Mother Teresa)

MEME'S FRIDAY

got up with the grand kid to chat as she got ready for work
had a cup of tea while she watch cartoons --LOL--and put on her makeup--(my child-woman)
planned to sneak a nap or rest
but discoverd dust creeping in the corners
so took the dust buster to combat the bunnies
brother stopped in for a few minutes
more tea and then a walk
to the thrift store
found 10 very nice modern christian hard covers plus a a new
NIV bible in chronological order=very interesting and will
enjoy seeing how the difference is as far as the time lines go
and a new pair of slippers that are warm as toast
all for $12.oo
a nice treat and yes, books do get heavier as one carries them home
but made it and then time for another Ashley chat and another tea
the kids have now gone out and yes, I also
got some more things done in the kitchen and now I
am starting the dining room
I will get all the rooms done and it will be time to
start over again
so now it is email and a bit of tv and then
bedtime==
good night, friends --God bless everyone
Huggles me,
Meme aka Oma
(MARILYN CHRISTINE)

Meme in the kitchen

• I was able to delete about 10 items from the kitchen- some tosses-- some give aways and some things did not belong there-


• I cleaned the areas at the same time-


• I did have a good day--


• went to my last grief meeting and it did help me grieve guilt free-


• on the net late so I will have to leave a short note


• O Lord


• May I believe in the darkness


• when all hope has vanished


• when waves beat with fury


• and no start lights my sky


• May I believe without


• feelings or knowing or proving


• till one shining moment when


• YOU shatter the darkness

ANOTHER SIMPLE DAY

• after living with cancer and papa's death I love simple days where the sun shines and the dust bunnies hide and stuff just sort of happens with out fanfare-
• I did get into the kitchen but I needed to do some plant pruning and watering so I did not get any deleting of the stuff done
• but I had fun and the weather was beautiful- although there was freezing rain over night which made morning travel very serious
• we did go for groceries and I am almost too old to travel with two teenagers and shop- they make my hair stand on end--LOL- how many ways can Oma say NO-sigh-
• also got my blog done for another day
• and did two loads of laundry and vacuumed and washed the floors
• Miss Ashley thinks I do too much and I think she does too little and between the two of us we keep the house clean
• I am learning that laughter and tears are nothing to be ashamed of--Celebrate the good things and pray about the bad-
• huggles me, Meme

cool day

• we had a very cool day here with some fog but no snow yet
• did some more things in the kitchen- I am going ''simple - as
• I want to spend less time doing things called cleaning
• I want to keep the plants there and my teapots but
• try take the other things in there go away
• the teapots will go in the dishwasher
• and the plants only need water once a week
• so tomorrow is the ''take away'' day
• I may store a few things but I think most
• will become give away I
• I do not have a lot of cupboard space
• so this is a tricky test
• Miss Ashley and I may be able to use
• some things for Christmas crafts as she
• as too many relatives--LOL
• and she likes to craft-
• so I will make a report of how well
• I have done sooner or later
• I never quite get all I want to do in one day
• huggles me, Meme

A PART OF MY DAY

Oma got up with a plan today with about 10 things on her list
but she got side tracked but did get a lot of things done but not sure how many were really on the list
I put our table back in our spot that papa and I always had it=
I moved it in June when he last went to the hospital as I knew he would not come home again and it was just so hard to see his empty chair
but
today it was time to put it back as it really is to big
where I moved it too
but now I will sit in papa's spot =
I am ready I guess as
I am accepting that papa is so very very gone
and it is ok to remember him in his special places
yes, I cried but I know that it is a ''good thing''for me to do-
then I ended up cleaning other areas and moving this and that which is ok- I even vacuumed under the stove- (shock as there were dust bunnies living there)
did a few chores at the church and talked with the pastor
and he understands that it is not the time
for me to attend social functions there
right now
and that is sort of my day
have a wonder filled night
huggles me,
Meme

Oma is not

• as young as she used to be and the grand kids
• kept her up too late last night
• and now my my mind and body are telling me
• that was not a ''good thing to do.''
• but grand kids are only young once too
• and we did make a few memories
• such as
• a 7 year old can out last her grandma
• and they do not take bribes at bed time
• and if Oma does not listen
• and all else fails
• phone mommy to tell her that
• Oma made her go to bed--LOL
• glad mommy is smart enough to know
• that 11 pm is half past bedtime
• the good news is that Oma is now
• home alone
• and can now go to bed early =
• we ate out of a can today also
• which means the kids went home
• tired and hungry but the food was educational
• it was alphagetti--LOL
• huggles Oma aka Meme

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

• I THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE FUN TO START SHARING SOME OF MY DAYS HERE
• today I was done at the church and cleaned for 3 hours- ovens, vacuuming, bathrooms and etc...
• it was very windy so I am so glad that I found a new hat yesterday to wear- it keeps the wind out of my ears and the hair on my head
• the Miss Ashley and the boy who is a friend gave me a shock today::
• THEY WASHED THE DISHES
• so now I have two clean sinks at the same time
• Miss Sidney is here to visit but she is not a happy camper so Oma is looking forward
• to her bedtime- she has always been high maintenance and once she is on a melt down she needs to sleep it off,,,,,,, I try to ignore as much as one Oma can as I am trying to keep the visit pleasant for both of us,
• in other words - an ok day-
• praying for each of our bloggers and remember to make memories
• huggles me, Meme

ASHLEY'S SCRATCH SOUP

• Miss Ashley is 18 and now living with Oma- and between us we are learning to eat together
• here is our supper soup

2 large cups of water--(she likes to over flow the cup--LOL)

4 large carrots plus extra one if you have a dog-- dog likes raw carrots-

peel and cut in small pieces

bring water and carrots to a boil-

add frozen green beans- about 1 cup

and bring to boil again and add

3 potatoes - cut small-

bring to boil and add one cup of frozen peas

- boil for 10 minutes and then add one cup hot water

and 2 cans of tomatoe soup

mix well

bring to just boiling and cook for 10 minutes stir as needed

add left over rice or plain macaronie and your own spices for taste

no more salt-

serve with bisquits and crackers-

--this is how we did it together and so I thought you would enjoy our way of cooking

and you can also add other veggies that you like- we do not use canned veggies - only frozen- have fun and enjoy the togetherness-Miss Ashley says it needs some corn==

huggles me, Meme

I remember when

• when I was growing up
• in the fall we had a lot of hearty soups
• as there as so much to do
• bringing in the harvest=
• it was a basic vegtable
• soup but had a lot of interesting
• vegtables beyond potatoes and carrots
• mother mixed and matched with no qualms
• about how it all added up
• she was using all the small veggies
• that required little prep beyond a good wash
• as tthe tiny veggies were hard to keep during
• the winter but easy
• to use
• some times there was left over
• meat to add-
• mother did not have the extra time
• to fuss with any meat not already cooked
• we had a wood stove so it went out
• while she was cleaning up the garden
• and also on some of the nights when the soup
• was nearly done
• she would poach each of us an egg
• right in the soup=
• this was always a wonderful treat
• and we had home made
• bread to go with the soup
• no two soups turned out the same
• but they were all delicious
• huggles from Meme

so much to do

• lately as I have been busy catching up on last year's chores and this years chores and
• I am looking forward to limiting what I need to do- because
• this old gray mare is not what she used to be so I have to
• will try to find some new systems of doing things and keeping things
• also freeing my self of stuff so I will have less dusting and
• cleaning and make some space-
• to day I turned our coat cupboard into a pantry- with papa gone we have less need of the cupboard to hang coats and I can fit mine into my clothes closet-

I put in two shelves and moved all the canned food , boxes etc there so I do not have to get up

and down so much to find a can of soup or whatever- and the good things is that I can now see what we really have- cupboards down on the floor do not work well for food storage but it was all I had before.......

- now it is a new system for me-- I know that papa would be pleased with the new set up= I found it difficult and yet freeing- I left the hooks in there as now I can hang my non plastic shopping bags and find them easily - now I can start to eliminate plastic bags when shopping-it will also save wear and tear on my legs and back -

it is hard to make changes from the way things were when hubby was here but I also know that he would encourage me to do things to make my life better-he had a servant's heart-

hugs from Meme who will love some new ideas --

Simple happy thoughts

• tea is better hot unless it is iced
• teenagers cannot sit still unless they need to do a chore
• chips are good unless you have no teeth
• ice is bad for travel unless it is on the hockey rink
• two are better than one unless it is two medicines
• dishes are good to have unless they are dirty

simple things

1. the smell of oatmeal cooking with brown sugar
2. the south wind on a cool day
3. a walk through the leaves after they have dried
4. after eight chocolates
5. a song playing in the dark
6. a child's tiny hand reaching up
7. sunshine in my soul
8. a grandma's prayer
9. good character
10. word of mouth promise kept

huggles from our house to yours

food for thought

• I was thinking of the homeless kitchen today
• we used to work there before papa became sick
• it is in the city so now it istoo hard for me to go there
• but most of the meals we prepared
• were simple but hardy
• but the thank you for supper smiles were not
• there is nothing like watching some one who
• for some reason has no way to make their own supper
• come in and eat- it is a good thing
• and give back a smile
• I liked to watch their faces change from defeated
• to simple happiness
• I remember once finding a pair of socks for a man
• who had no socks and he was wearing boots a size to big
• I remember his smile--I remember his feet-
• broken down and old and tired but he
• still had a thank you - smile
• I wonder if perhaps I could smile more at the simple
• gifts that God gives me every day-
• smiles go beyond words
• give some one your smile today and ask
• them to pass it on,,,,,,,,,,
• :-)
• :-)
• huggles Meme

MY BIG LIST for thanksgiving dinner.......

I had a long list today but only time to get it on paper and I was able to scratch every thing off the list-
miss Ashley was a good help
now I am relaxing and recovering-I only have the roaster that is soaking to wash tomorrow and the house is back in order
- actually neater and cleaner than when we started out-
Miss Ashley stuffed her things in her room and shut the door......
now all we have to do is some how get miss Ashley back into her bed safely--LOL- it is her room and I never fuss about it to her- I just close the door too-- she is a good kid and her messy room is just her way of live --
we had a simple thanksgiving dinner with a lot of fun and kind of like a smorg and I found
that the simple gave me time to spend with the family-
simple celebration family meals is my new tradition .....as with out Papa David here; any more is too much for me.......
we missed dear Papa and laughed and cried about his kind ways- it was all good and he was missed -
huggless me, Meme

walking is simple

One of the simple forms of exercise is walking- and I am blessed that I can still walk.
As kids, my brother and I walked to our country school house nearly everyday
as the other kids in the district - we had a lot of fun on the way to and from
school and never felt unsafe=we also walked every evening down to the field and brought the milk cows home for the night. They were happy to see us as they were anxious to be milked and they knew that they
were in store for a small oat treat. We had 7 milk cows and like all farm animals we
had names for them- they knew the way and would give us a run if we were late- We were
not allowed to force them to go fast as it did something to the milk- It has been so long since I helped bring them home that I know longer remember what running did to the cows-
In this day of fast transportation we do not walk enough - partly because of safety and also the location of the stores- our downtown is nearly gone now and has only a few stores left that
do not supply all our needs- I do try to walk to them and do what shopping I can- but now
at my age I have to remember how heavy a bag gets with each step.
With gas prices so high I have noticed that there are more folks walking - maybe the government should give us a discount on taxes for walking --LOL --
Go for a walk today and look for blessings you can see and hear-

turkey lessons made simple

• today dear grand daughter and I bought a turkey for our Monday thanksgiving dinner
• d-gd found a seasoned turkey which she thought was a good idea to buy
• so we found a plain turkey the same weight and compared prices and also
• preparation- the seasoned also came with one of those plastic bags that you
• can cook in plus the seasoning added to the turkey
• but both preparation instructions were the same
• the difference was the seasoned turkey cost 38 dollars while the normal
• cook in a pan and add your own seasonings turkey cost 23 dollars
• I let her choose after explaining that we would be paying $15. for seasonings and one plastic bag-
• I was so glad she choose the normal-'' just put into the pan'' turkey and she was able
• to see why it takes time and some thought to compare before buying
• when we finished shopping we saved over twenty dollars by thinking before we bought
• she is a good kid and I pray that one day when she is on her own that these savings today will save her a lot of expense in the future-
• I am blessed that she wants to take the time with Meme to learn
• hope to be back soon and remember it is simple to shop and compare as some times the extra is extra :-)

cooking simple

I love recipes but seldom have the time or the money or the ingredients- I wonder what ever happened to just cooking a pot of potatoes and a pot of carrots and just sitting down and eating them just as they are........do we really need to add so many ingredients to everything that we cook in order to make it taste good to eat--
I enjoy spices and butter too but maybe if we did go back to simple cooking our health and our waste bands would feel better=

I remember as kids that mom never fooled too much with her cooking and yet her food was good
and wholesome - and there was no one over weight in the house- we still had things like butter and cream and salt but they were not used as condiments or additions to the pot-
if you check with your favorite burger joint you will notice that the condiments account for nearly half and sometimes more of the calories in the hamburger -
we learned to start asking for them on the side and then we had control over the meal and yes, they did taste as good and had less mess-
enjoy a simple meal tomorrow for your tummy's sake :-)

simple made easy

I love reading blogs and letters as well as articles on simplicity
but one of the things that I notice that often the simplicity is not simple=
I was raised with simplicity as a way of life rather than a life style-
Mother saved almost everything for another day and also used the
things she saved- dad did most of his farming the old fashioned way with out
radios in tractors and no holiday from milking the cows- if we had a family
crisis then the neighbors came in and did your chores and farm work for you
I learned how to slice bread because our bread was home made and not
pre sliced - gardens were automatic
we had school clothes and church clothes and then we had our everyday play/chore
clothes and we never mixed up which was which-
we did not have baths everyday but we never went any where dirty-
water came in buckets and not taps =
our grass was green and so were we- but we did not know that
there was any other color to be-
it was easy to be simple because that was the only thing we could afford.

SIMPLE KINDNESS

KINDNESS can be done in many simple ways that can warm some one Else's day-and return to you warming your day-----

• saying hello to a stranger
• soft voice with children
• pet the dog
• don't share gossip
• pray for the homes you walk or drive past
• and so on and so on......
• just look for ways to be kind.

It is easy to be kind even in a busy noisy world and the time it takes is good for your health=

You will lower your blood pressure- blood sugar and other health benefits and it will be good for your heart, mind and soul-

huggles me, Meme

Kindness continued..........

Kindness is more than just good manners--it is something that needs to come from the heart......it is medicine to some one's soul-
Kindness can be costly in time and money and yet it should be freely given-
How many times have we received kindness that in turn taught us to be kind ?
Kindness can be plain and simple- it needs no thanks=it can be not doing something as well as doing something-with practice it can become a habit-
-----
Because kindness starts in the heart - it becomes good medicine for the giver=
Kindness is gentle -

WHEN WE DO LITTLE ACTS OF KINDNESS THAT MAKES LIFE MORE BEARABLE FOR SOMEONE ELSE, WE ARE WALKING IN LOVE AS THE BIBLE COMMANDS US- (B JOHNSON)

BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER--
Huggles me, Meme

Kindness

Kindness starts with me-and- you-today.
Kindness begins in our hearts.
Kindness spreads joy.
Kindness is a way to give blessings'.

In this world of speed and coming and going we often find our day to busy
to be kind to others. We need to take time to be kind in thought and speech
and deed- Kindness should be a big part of our day and should
be given to everyone=
Our
motive should be pure and filled with love with with no expectations.
Kindness should be free.

CARVE YOUR NAME ON HEARTS-NOT ON MARBLE-(C.H. SPURGEON)

Love other people just as Christ loved us==Ephesians 5:2 ICB

Huggles me, Meme

welcome

I hope that you will enjoy this blog-
I will share many things here-

• thoughts
• recipes
• ideas
• bible verses
• tales
• and other things

I will talk about simplicity in the home and in the heart- written in a plain and simple manner = feel free to share with others=

Huggles me, Meme